HAULING OUT!!!

I have decided to HAUL OUT and get rid of some stuff that I am not using. The number one thing I have decide to give up...which I am really not giving it up because I haven't really be doing it for years...is stamping. I have a whole store and have had people ask me to see it before it goes on ebay. The easiest way I found to do this is post the items here. If there is anything you are interested in let me know and I will let you know the price of the item. If you click on the slide show it will bring the pics up in full view.

GOIN' GREEN!

I have been gradually for a while now starting to "GO GREEN." One of my biggest concerns was the cleaners that I use in my home. You have to know that while you are cleaning if something is making it hard to breathe and you are gagging...it can't be good for you!

Here are some of the products that I know I have used and so do most people that don't know the dangers of using them. This is just a small bit of info on a few of them...but enough in my opinion to know this stuff is soooo not good to be using! For even more information check out http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov/index.htm

Bleach: (Registered Pesticide) Sodium Hypochlorite-Neurotoxin, kidney and liver damage, severe lung damage, reproductive issues. Vapors have been shown to interfere with brain function, aggravate heart conditions and asthma and suspect to reproductive disorders.

409: Contains Ammonia, 2-butoxy ethanol, Ethylene Glycol Monobutyl Ether...which is listed by the EPA as a possible human carcinogen! Phenol: Linked to cancer, reproductive disorders, kidney and liver damage and can cause chronic lung irritation.

Furniture Polish: Silicones, Butane gas and propane gas. Harmful if inhaled, narcotic, may cause brain damage and depresses the central nervous system.

And on...and on...and on. (Laundry Detergent, Dishwashing Detergent, Toothpaste, Cosmetics, Personal care products, Shampoos..EVEN BABY PRODUCTS...Johnson and Johnson, Eucerin, Lubriderm.

Also...here are some scary statistics:

*The EPA conducted a study that found that toxic chemicals in household cleaners are three times more likely to cause cancer than outdoor air pollution.

*Of 2,983 chemicals analyzed that are found in personal care products:
884 are toxic
146 can cause tumors
218 can cause reproductive complications
778 cause acute toxicity
314 can cause biological mutations
376 can cause skin and eye irritations

*Ingestion only accounts for about 10% of household poisonings. 90% of poisoning happens through inhalation and skin absorption.

*Women who work in the home have a 54% higher risk of dying from cancer than women who work outside of the home because of their increased exposure to household chemicals. [Toronto Indoor Air Conference of 1990 from a 15+ year study]

*150 chemicals found in the home have been connected to allergies, birth defects, cancer and psychological disorders. [The Consumer Protection Agency)

So...you may be asking...what have you found to use instead of all these toxic chemicals in your home? I have found a GREAT wellness company called MELALEUCA. To tell you the truth...I am a skeptic...you have to PROVE stuff to me before I believe it. I don't want to use toxic chemicals..but I do want my toilets sparkling clean....my laundry to be CLEAN and SMELL GOOD...and so on...if it doesn't work I am not using it! Plus....I don't want to pay a ton of money for it to be non toxic and safe for my children and environment. Well...Melaleuca has done it. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the products. First of all... I am not buying anything EXTRA....I have just changed where I shop and am using a "GREEN" product. Also...I am saving money. I know...I thought NO WAY too. But let tell you how the company works. It is like Sams/Costco etc. You pay a 29.99 yearly membership. (yearly renewal fee is 12.oo) You buy direct online...no having to go through a distributor...wooo hoooo! (I really like that) Or driving to the store! It is delivered straight to your home!!!! I was thinking..this stuff is going to cost a fortune...I know it (ha..the skeptic in me) Let's take the tub and tile cleaner. First of all...I cleaned my shower with it...LOVED IT...didn't even have to put my shirt over my face from gagging...no toxic chemicals. Second... it comes CONCENTRATED in a 16 oz. bottle that MAKES 4 bottles of cleaner for....... 5.69!!!!! That is 1.42 per bottle. (I personally have been buying HOLY COW for 4.99 a bottle!) But this is not only cheaper than your reg. cleaner that you buy at the store regardless of what kind you are buying...but its eco friendly...non toxic....AND WORKS!!!!!!

Also Melaleuca is not sold in stores...they do not use their money for advertisements...shelf space and so on. What they do is when you use the product and end up LOVING IT....you tell people about it, like you would any product. If they decide to sign up as a preferred customer under you....Melaleuca pays you a percentage of their order..each time they order as a thank you for referring a customer to their company. HAHA...I know Sam's and Costco and Walmart sure don't do this. So...not only are you using non-toxic products, but if you end up referring people...you could be getting a paycheck too!!!! Can't beat that!

Oh...and I forgot this part. If you are not totally 100% satisfied with a product...return it....for a 100% refund or exchange! They also will refund your membership fee if you aren't happy with the company...but I highly doubt that would happen.

I am going to do a "product of the week" to let people know about all the products that Melaleuca has to offer.

Also...for anyone that is in the Parker area that is interested in learning more about Melaleuca I am having a Wellness Presentation at my home on Feb.18th (Weds.) at 11:30 and Feb. 19th (Thurs.) at 6:30. I am not selling anything...You don't buy anything. This is a presentation to tell you about what harmful chemicals you are probably using in your home right now and what Melaleuca has to offer and to answer any questions you may have. If you end up feeling like you would like to be a member you can sign up and start shopping away!

If you would like to come either of those dates or have more questions for me about Melaleuca please feel free to email me at jenwattles@gmail.com

Stay tuned for PRODUCT OF THE WEEK!!!!

Happy 2009!

2009 didn't quite start off as planned. LOL Let me tell you why :) Every year we go to my mom and dads in TN for Christmas. We didn't think we would be able to go this year because of prices and dates. So...I started playing around with dates to see what I could come up with. WOOO HOOOO found some tickets!!!! Booked them...and headed to TN on the 18th of Dec. and planned to return Dec. 29th. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Like I said...PLANNED!!! We had a great time at mom and dads with my brother Craig and his family, my brother Steve and of course mom and dad...but by the 28th we were ready to head home. ( I ran out of time before Christmas and didn't get the shopping done for our Christmas at home....I had planned on shopping on the 30th and 31st and having Christmas New Years Eve) Well....didn't quite go that way. :) Lance went to go print the tickets the night before we were to leave to come home. He comes in to my moms kitchen and says...do you mind us staying for another month???? Everyone was like hahahahaha...yeah...sure! He said....I'm not kidding...Jen booked the tickets to come home JAN 29th!!!!!!!!!!! I said yeah right. Then I turned around and looked at his face and could tell he was NOT KIDDING! So I go into the office to look...sure enough tickets were from Dec. 18th-Jan 29th!!!! Oops! We had to get home...we had two dogs at the kennel we had to pick up on the 29th...Lance had to be back at work...and Lucas can not miss more than 5 days of school in a semester or he will get kicked out. Soooo....after 2 hours on the phone...around 500.00 dollars and 80,000 freq. flier miles used....Lance went home on the 29th and the kids and I and to stay until Jan. 2nd. Can you say STUPID STUPID STUPID!!!!! I know I will NEVER hear the end of this. Next year it will be...don't let Jen book the tickets....hahaha. Hey...how long you staying this year????? Remember the year...... UGH! LOL In my defense...I have always booked the tickets and this is the first time I did this. Also...I had to play around with a ton of dates to find a flight that worked with our dates and had 5 seats available. Well...I must of forgot to change it from Jan back to Dec. :) We are home now...and all is good. Kids had Christmas and Cole had his birthday...Just a little later planned. :) I know that mom and dad enjoyed having us...but am sure they were ready for us to go home just as much as we wanted to be back home. Maybe next year I will let Lance book the tickets. :)

Christmas was great and I have a ton of pics to post. But right now I have to get dinner on the table and then do what I love the most. HOMEWORK....NOT! So it will probably be tomorrow that I get them posted.

I hope you all have a great 2009 and that it started off the way you had planned!!!!!

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS...

My kids are always asking me...."what do you want for Christmas, Mom." I always tell them..."You already know." They will say...."we know...we know....PEACE, LOVE and HAPPINESS!" And then they will say..."But what do you REALLY want?" And I always tell them..."that IS what I want." I can honestly say that I am very happy with my life. I have everything that I could ever possibly need and want. I have a great husband that works extremely hard to give us the things we want and need. And...he loves me and puts up with me...that should say it all!!! I have 3 healthy, WILD kids. A nice house...nice cars..and so much more. Am I saying that my life is perfect??? haha...FAR FROM IT! My house is a mess, my kids fight with each other all the time. My oldest DRIVES ME NUTS with his mouth! My kids don't do anything to help with out me totally nagging at them...then it turns into a fight. And I am exhausted a lot of the time because my husband lives away from home during the week. And that means I have to help with the HOMEWORK...WHICH I TOTALLY HATE!!! With that being said...I am so fortunate to have a husband that works hard to provide for us...even though he has to live away from home during the week. Even though my house is a mess most of the time...I am fortunate to be able to afford a nice house! And even though my kids make me want to scream and pull my hair out....I do have 3 great healthy kids.

You may be thinking...why I am talking about this. Well...this weekend a little boy who was 14 years old was hit by a car and killed not far from our house. My son who is 13 did not know him...but knows a lot of his friends and the teachers he had. He was out walking with some of his friends and it was dark...the car didn't see him trying to cross the road. Today was his funeral. I can't stop thinking about his parents. My heart aches for them. I know they are wishing that their son could drive them crazy just one more time....or forget to pick up his clothes off the floor.....or to hear his whine just one more time when they ask him to do a job. :(

Also...with the economy lately....I know of some people that have lost their jobs. Lance has been laid off before. We had 3 kids...a house payment...cars....etc. I can't even describe how frightening it is to wonder how you are going to make it. Therefore...even though Lance is gone during the week...I am so fortunate to have a husband that has a job.

So...when asked..what I want/need for Christmas my answer is....I don't NEED anything....but unfortunately what I WANT for everyone money can't buy....PEACE, LOVE, and HAPPINESS!

Daily Quote:

"True friends are the people who brighten your smile everytime your with them"

SLACKER!!!!

My name is Jen and I am a SLACKER!!!!! LOL I can't believe that its been almost a month since I posted!!! You know its bad when people start to call you to see why you haven't posted in a while. Even my husband called today and said...."I keep checking your blog to see what you have been up to....and there is never anything new on there. " So I thought...I better get on it. This last month just flew by. I have NO idea where it went or what I have been up to. So...I thought I would look at my calendar to see what on earth I did this last month. :)

First of all...Cole got sick...AGAIN. Cole has gotten what the doctors call "croup" every year since he has been born. It is always the same. He starts to lose his voice first...then he has difficulty breathing...gets a seal like cough....we usually end up in the ER getting a breathing treatment and steroids. For a couple years now the doctors have been saying..."he is to old to get croup...the next time this happens we need to do further testing." Each time it would happen they would just give him a treatment and steroids and say the same thing. It didn't help that we have moved and changed doctors quite a few times during this process. So finally I decided we need to get to the bottom of this. So...we went to an ENT who said that is it possible that his esophagus is to small and that he could also have vocal cord issues....but we wouldn't know unless we did exploratory surgery. OK...not an option. So...I decided to take him back to the allergy and asthma center when the school calls me and tells me he is having a hard time breathing and I need to come in to get him. I took him in and they ran a few test and started him on treatment. Well...by the next morning he is worse....so back we go. They start him on steroids....same ol thing that he gets every time this happens. Seems to be the only thing that works. And...they send him for a cat scan of his sinuses. That comes back clear and they are baffled. Loooong story short.....they decide to get him well with all the meds. and do a Methacholine challenge test. This will determine if he has asthma. Sure enough....he does! And this "croup" is the way his body reacts to it. FINALLY we know what this is!!!! Sooooo....now he is on a preventive dose of meds every night. We go back to the allergist Thursday for a check-up. So far all is good. Hopefully this will control his attacks and we can stay out of the ER this winter. So that is part of where I have been. :)

TODAY'S QUOTE

YES WE CAN!!!! :)