My WAHM Plan : help

Showing posts with label help

Keep Vitamins on Hand to Help with Summer Colds and School Germs

in #AD, colds, giveaways, help, immune, summer, vitamins, by Linda A Kinsman, Monday, August 21, 2023

The schools in my area have been in session for a couple of weeks now, so it came as no surprise to hear coughing, sneezing, and a little whining from kids and adults on my recent shopping trip. It’s that time of year when I like to keep vitamins on hand to help with summer colds and school germs that lead to the dreaded “school crud”. Bonus points to today’s sponsor, Superior Source Vitamins for their no-swallow products, which are perfect for kids.

Keep Vitamins on Hand!

Keep Vitamins on Hand

80 DIY Permaculture Projects for the Home Garden

in #AD, #BookReview, books, diy, Garden, help, how-to, spring gardening, by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, March 25, 2022

Happy Friday and happy Spring friends! Are you excited to welcome in the season of growth, hope and renewal? I always look forward to spring and have been dreaming of all the flowers and herbs I’d plant this year, but at the end of the growing season last year, I knew I needed to find a better and easier way to keep the weeds from taking over and turning my gardening time into such a chore. Like a beacon of hope, I received a book called The Regenerative Garden, which has 80 DIY permaculture projects for the home garden and the biggie for me is a way to reduce weeding! Read on to learn more and to enter the giveaway to win a copy of the book!

Home Garden Help!

80 DIY permaculture projects for the home garden

Do you suffer from headaches or Migraines? Green light lamp may help

in #AD, #FamilyLife, beauty, green light therapy, headaches, health, help, lamp, migraines, wellness, by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, October 15, 2021

My daughter has suffered from cluster headaches and the occasional migraine for years. It’s hard to watch someone you love suffer knowing there wasn’t many non-pharmaceutical relief options available. My daughter had done some research on green light therapy and put green LED’s in her room which offered some help. I was delighted to be asked to review the new Allay Lamp recently. If you or someone you love suffers from headaches or migraines, read on about the use of green light and the company making this innovative lamp.

Green Light Help!

Allay green light lamp for headache/migraine help

Six ways to Give on Giving Tuesday

in #Family, #GivingTuesday, community, give, help, Nashville, outreach, by Linda A Kinsman, Tuesday, December 03, 2019

Happy December! It is a frosty morning here south of Nashville, TN. And I’m warm and toasty in my cozy home office. I know there are many, right here in my county that aren’t as fortunate. That’s top of mind as I put together this post for Giving Tuesday. This year I’m going to continue to help where I live. To that end, I’m donating food, toys, clothes, books, diapers, anything I can to help local community outreach programs and non profits. If you’d like to help out in your community and need some ideas on where to get started, read on for Six ways you can give on Giving Tuesday.

It's #GivingTuesday 2019

Tips and Resources for Fire Prevention Week Oct. 6- 12

in escape plan, FamilyLife, fire alarms, fire prevention, help, October, resources, save lives, tips, week, by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, October 04, 2019

It’s been so hot and dry here in middle Tennessee that we’ve broken records. We are in a drought situation and burn bans are in place, so I felt there was no better time than now to share tips and resources for fire prevention week. There are several easy steps you can start or put in place this weekend to keep you and your loved ones safe. In fact, I’ll be working on our new safety plan on the back deck this evening. My thanks to the Red Cross for sending this information along so I could share it with you.

enjoying our back deck this Fall

Parenting our girls Then and Now

in #AD, #CPTC, #ThenAndNowKids, FamilyLife, help, parenting teens, resources, by Linda A Kinsman, Tuesday, October 09, 2018

This post is sponsored by the Center for Parent and Teen Communication. All opinions and total Mom moments are my own.

My laptop has been acting up the last few weeks, which forced me to work on the family desktop computer. She may be a bit of a dinosaur, but she is as reliable as the day is long. As soon as I sat down to work and started downloading needed photos for a campaign, I was swept up in nostalgia and found myself going back down memory lane. My girls have grown and changed so much from the early years of parenting, but their bond remains strong.

Then:

#ad after school playtime then

The Hundred Story Home book review and giveaway

in #AD, books, community, family, giveaway, help, home, review, by Linda A Kinsman, Wednesday, July 18, 2018

How does one go about finding faith in ourselves or something bigger than ourselves? How do we step out in faith and believe in the whisper that some of us hear that says… do this instead of that? These questions and potentially finding the answers to my own nagging whisper had me happily agreeing to review a complimentary copy of The Hundred Story Home by Kathy Izard and to hosting a giveaway for 3 copies for you!

The Hundred Story Home book #review and #giveaway #ad

Be Prepared- Flu may strike you or a loved one

in #AD, be prepared, care, coughs, FamilyLife, flu, help, Loved One, TLC, by Linda A Kinsman, Tuesday, February 06, 2018

With six more weeks of winter to go, we all must take every precaution to keep ourselves and our families well since the flu shows no signs of slowing down. This strain is nothing to trifle with as reports of hospitalizations and sadly, even deaths are on the evening news day after day.

I’ve already succumbed to this nasty virus around Christmas time so I can attest to this virus’ strength. I was lucky I didn’t have to be hospitalized, so I was only too happy to partner with Mucinex and help spread the word about their maximum strength products. Stocking up on these products now will help you be prepared in case flu strikes you or a loved one.

Care tray for loved one be prepared in case flu strikes #ad

Welcome to WAHM Tip Wednesday

in help, ideas, SAHM, tips, wahm, work at home mom, by Linda A Kinsman, Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Hello and happy fourth Wednesday of January! If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you know I normally like to post a Wordless Wednesday post featuring some of my nature pics like last week’s post here. I’ve done that for years and honestly, it’s high time I shook things up here on My WAHM Plan, so once a month I'm going to share a WAHM Tip!

I want to offer helpful content for busy work at home Moms (or Moms who would like to be), so I brainstormed ideas and one kept rising to the top. Go back to basics of this blog and start sharing work at home tips I've learned in my almost 19 year’s experience as a WAHM. I feel this year is the perfect time to start sharing my knowledge with more and more Moms look for ways to add additional income.

New Blog Series: WAHM Tip Wednesday

WAHM planner

Shine Bright this season with gifts that multiply Hope + Giveaway

in #ad #ShineBright, #WVGiftCatalog, children, donate, families, gifts, giveaway, help, Hope, by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, December 08, 2017

Christmas is by far, one of my favorite times of the year. I love the crisp air on my face and the scent of Christmas trees. I love steamed up windows while I bake holiday treats. I adore all the traditions of the holiday! Most of all, I love that I am secure, loved, safe and happy. My future, my world is full of hope and promise. I want to do my part to extend these feelings to other families, especially children by partnering with World Vison’s Shine Bright the World needs you program to help spread hope this holiday season. I snapped this photo last winter and I remember feeling so blessed and thankful for my life. I want to spread that kind of love and cheer from my little corner of the web today!

#ShineBright the world needs you #WVGiftCatalog #nature #sponsored

Avon offers two ways to help with Hurricane Harvey Relief

in Avon, care packages, donate, FamilyLife, help, hurricane Harvey, Red Cross, by Linda A Kinsman, Thursday, August 31, 2017

For over 130 years, Avon has been a company that cares about women, our families our communities, our health and our livelihoods. Today Avon is offering two ways to help with hurricane Harvey relief. As a proud Avon Representative, I naturally wanted to help, but that isn’t my only reason for this post. I’m also a flood survivor. As a teenager, my family lost everything in a flood. Our home, our cars, our clothes, our food, our security. My heart goes out to each and every single person who has been touched by hurricane Harvey. This post is for you. Avon is here to help you. I am here to help you. My family and I stand strong with you. If you would like to learn how you can partner with Avon today, read on please.

Avon hurricane Harvey relief donations

Got clutter? Tidy Living organizers can help

in #AD, clutter, decor, help, home, homemaking, organizers, spring cleaning, storage, by Linda A Kinsman, Tuesday, March 07, 2017

Have you ever taken a step back and looked at your home the way a stranger might view it for the first time? What do you see? Do you see a warm, clean and organized home- you know, the type of home we all strive for? Or, do you see a home that needs a bit of help with clutter control?

Got clutter? Organizers can help! #springcleaning

Three easy ways to give back to your community on #GivingTuesday

in #GivingTuesday, community, FamilyLife, feed, give, help, smile, volunteer, by Linda A Kinsman, Tuesday, November 29, 2016

This is my third year as an ambassador #GivingTuesday, the global day of giving back to our community, or the world depending on which causes and organizations you choose to support. My family and I choose to support globally during most of the year, but during the holidays, we love to give our support locally. Read on for my three easy ways to give back starting today.

#GivingTuesday

1. Donate Funds:

The first way we give is by putting a donation in nearly every Salvation Army bell ringers collection. Sometimes it’s just the change in our hands from our recent shopping trip. Other times we give a more meaningful amount, it really depends on where we are in our lives. Every little bit helps! We smile and thank the volunteers who are out in all sorts of weather promoting the Salvation's Armies promise to America to “Do the most good”. Our daughters, now in their teens, have watched us do this so often over the years, that now they reach in their purse or pockets to see what they can give as well. This makes us very proud parents because we never asked them to give, they want too. If you would like to learn more about volunteering this holiday season as a bell ringer, please visit www.ringbells.org where you can do a search to find local volunteer opportunities.

2. Donate Food:

Feeding America #GivingTuesday

The second way we give is by supporting local food banks. The need is greatest this time of year, second only to summer when kids are out of school. The idea of not having enough food is a scary and growing situation on our country. It’s hard to fathom that 42 million people in America face hunger each day- that’s 1 in every 8 Americans! Sadly, school age children are the most severely affected by hunger.

One of the easiest ways to help is to look for a collection bin at your local grocery store and put one of your BOGO’s in it all year. If you have the resources, perhaps you can adopt a family in need off of the giving tree in your community. My local stores have them up all season. If your grocery store doesn’t, just look up your local food bank at Feeding America and ask what they need.

3. Donate Time:

Volunteer #GivingTuesday

Last but certainly not least, we want to help seniors in our community this year. I’m contacting a local assisted living community today to see how we might help brighten residents days. Simple acts like visiting for 30 minutes, smiling and saying hello to each resident we see, writing greeting cards for a hallway of residents, giving out free hand massages since I’m an Avon lady.

If you don’t have an assisted living center in your community, contact your local senior center or visit the National Center on Aging which has a wealth of resources to help you plug in and help.

More Ways to help:

find local events #GivingTuesday

My three ways of helping may not be the best fit for you, so I invite you to visit the #GivingTuesday website where you can find countless ways to get involved today, next month or next year.

Freebie:

The one thing you can give freely, multiple times a day is your smile. It costs you nothing, but to the receiver it may mean everything, especially in our social media savvy world! Look up from those phones when you are in public and Smile! Speaking of smiling- are you following me a.k.a. ismilefirst on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest? I'd love for you to join me!

Please share in comments: Which way do you and your family help give back to your community?

3 ways to help a senior in your life remain active #TenaTips ad

in active, help, lifestyle, seniors, by Linda A Kinsman, Monday, June 27, 2016

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #TenaTips #CollectiveBias

Just as my husband and I got a handle on the happy, messy, emotional ride that is raising teen daughters, along came another family situation we weren’t quite prepared for: helping take care of our senior loved one. My mother in law started turning down invitations from friends, she started missing doctor’s appointments, she even stopped wanting to come to our home for holidays and the main cause, we later learned, was occasional incontinence.

3 ways to help a senior in your life remain active

She never wanted to tell us she was struggling with this, so she remained silent until one day a few months ago, she fell. While she was recovering, she asked us to go shopping for her. She asked for overnight underwear and the look on her face as she did ‒ full of embarrassment ‒ stayed with me. I vowed to find ways to help this wonderful senior remain active and not let incontinence leave her sitting on the sidelines of her life.

The first way to help a senior loved one is the easiest ‒ simply observe their behavior. Do they seem happy when you visit them or do they look uncomfortable? My mother in law shared with me that when she had to start using pads for unexpected leakage, she feared she may have an odor when we hugged her, or that her home might smell unpleasant because she had placed used product in the trash.

Thankfully, she had discovered TENA® pads and liners which helped eliminate odor and I suggested she get a slightly larger waste basket for her bathroom and line it with a scented liner.

#TenaTips to help you remain active

Second, take in their home. Do they have a towel or a pad on their favorite chair or part of the couch? That is a red flag to light bladder leakage or stress incontinence. If you asked to use their bathroom, do they say sure, or do they ask if they can grab something out of there first? I learned that my mother in law didn’t want us to see her pads and overnight underwear, but had to leave them out near the toilet some days. I found an easy solution to this situation by making her a cute personal hygiene bag that could sit on the back of her toilet, on the side, or on the counter without advertising the contents.

#TenaTips overnight pads fit in a cute bag #ad #CBias

The third way to help your senior remain active is to make sure they always have enough pads, liners and overnight underwear on hand. Our local CVS carries the full line of TENA® products, so I can just pop in and purchase what my mother in law needs for the week.

#TenaTips find them easily at CVS #ad #CBias

TENA® is also available online at CVS.com . You can have them shipped directly to your loved ones’ home. There are rebates available through Ibotta for pads/liners here and their overnight underwear here. These will be welcome savings since most seniors are living on a fixed income.

#TenaTips full line of TENA products at CVS #ad #CBias

Bonus tips for all women 35 and over:

I've learned several helpful things from watching my mother in law's decline in health and I'd love to share her wisdom (and that of her doctors) with you so that we can strive to live life without compromise well into our senior years.

1. Strengthen your core. All movement comes from your core and light bladder leakage may be prevented by having a stronger core.

2. Do Kegal exercises, but do them correctly. Pelvic floor muscles can be easy to isolate once you know how to do a proper Kegal. The best way to isolate the right muscles is to clench or stop your urine the next time you go. The muscles you use to do this are the very muscles you need to use to do Kegals. Hold those muscles for 3 seconds and release. Do several times a day anywhere. You can learn more from WebMD here.

3. Walk more, sit less. It sounds easy enough, but just standing more often through out the day and taking short 10 to 15 minute walks helps strengthen your muscles, including your core muscles. And it helps with number 4.

4. Lose weight. Losing just 5 pounds of excess weight can help alleviate light bladder issues such as leakage and stress incontinence.

5. Last, but certainly not least, take the time to fully empty your bladder each time you go to the bathroom. Conversely, don't go to the bathroom at the very first hint of needing to go when at home. Allow your bladder to fill up and use the core and pelvic floor muscles. We all know that a muscle at rest tends to weaken, so use them, don't lose them!

It is my hope that this post will help you take that first important step to talk to your parents or grandparents on this delicate topic and let them know that there are great products to help them. I hope the bonus tips for the 35 and over will help serve as a reminder for all of us women to take better care of ourselves today for a healthier tomorrow.

With a little love, discretion and TENA® products, you can help a senior in your life remain active and enjoy their golden years happily doing the things they love and living life without compromise!

Please share in comments: Do you have a senior in your life that may benefit from this post?

Today is National Missing Children’s Day- a call to action

in community, help, May 25, National Missing Children's Day, take action, by Linda A Kinsman, Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Today I woke up with a grateful heart. I am celebrating another day on this wonderful planet and my family is showering me with love because it’s my birthday. While I had originally planned on sharing a post on working from home, a quick Google search of today led me to a much more important cause. Did you know that today is National Missing Children’s day? I didn’t either. How could I not know that I’ve shared my birthday with this very important cause since 1983?

Wake up each morning and be grateful #morning #sky #star

Sunrises make me happy and grateful to be alive

About National Missing Children’s Day:

National Missing Children's Day May 25

“In 1983, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed May 25 as National Missing Children’s Day. Each year, the Department of Justice (DOJ) commemorates Missing Children’s Day with a ceremony honoring the heroic and exemplary efforts of agencies, organizations, and individuals to protect children.

Missing Children’s Day is dedicated to encouraging parents, guardians, caregivers, and others concerned with the well-being of children to make child safety a priority. It serves as a reminder to continue our efforts to reunite missing children with their families and an occasion to honor those dedicated to this noble cause.”

Three easy ways to get involved today:

Every child deserves to feel safe. Every child deserves to live with their families without fear of being taken, sold, hurt or worse. I always feel terrible when I get an Amber alert and I don’t take them lightly. I look at the photo, I study it and then I take action by sharing the Amber alert on social media AND by looking at the faces in the crowd as I go about my day.

1. Always pay attention and share local and national Amber alerts

My husband and I always look at the missing children’s posters at the exit of our local Sam’s Club. We pull our cart over so we don’t get trampled on by the busy exiting shoppers and we look at those faces, we say a prayer and then we take our kids home with us.

2. Always look at the Missing Children's posters post in your community

Keeping our kids as safe as we can is one of the most important reasons I am a work at home Mom. I’m here for my kids in a way that I couldn’t be working outside the home. It was a choice to earn less to be here in my home and in my community more. But not all Moms can do that, so I will try to do more when and where I can. I will pay attention to the kids, vehicles in my neighborhood, and report any suspicious activity to my neighborhood watch and law enforcement.

3. Pay attention to activities in your neighborhood and join your neighborhood watch.

Lastly, I invite you to visit http://mecptraining.org/educate/national-missing-childrens-day/ to learn more and find resources on how you may be able to help in your community, or nationally.

If you are reading this and are a parent- hug and connect with your child. Tell them how very grateful you are to have them in your life. Do you know how many kids are never told they are wanted, valued, loved? Be sure you are giving your kids your undivided attention so they truly feel connected.

Positive words and feelings from a grateful heart

Today is my birthday and I woke with a grateful heart and I plan on using my voice, my talents, my heart to make today the best day of the rest of my life by shining my light and remembering my blessings and hopefully, plugging in to my community more and blessings others.

Please share in comments: In what way can you help a child feel safe and loved today?

Celebrate, take action or honor a loved one this International Women’s Day

in #wahm, empowerment, help, International Women's Day, Pledge, support, by Linda A Kinsman, Tuesday, March 08, 2016

Today is a special day the world over where women are honored and celebrated as the smart, capable, beautiful humans we are! This year one of the focal points of today is a pledge for parity and I wholeheartedly join in this pledge!

Parity: The state or condition of being equal, especially regarding status or pay. #PledgeforParity

Celebrate International Women's Day March 8

About International Women’s Day:

March 8^th is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.

Women- today is our day! I ask you- What does equality look like to you? Does it mean fair pay? Does it mean a fairer dispersal of chores and child rearing with your spouse? Does it mean more free time to just be still and replenish your soul?

I invite you to visit International Women's Day and learn how you can take the pledge and connect with others in your community and around the world!

For me, today is about being content with myself as a women, wife, mother, friend and wage earner. The latter is the hardest and most complex for me as a work at home Mom. I don’t have a pay check waiting for me at the end of the week unless I hustle each and every day. This is a lifestyle choice that I’m happy with most days, but as 2015 came to a close, I felt the need to change a few things to take better care of myself. Something we women should do more of!

A big reason for this change or pivot as I like to call it is due to the evolution of blogging-digital influencer industry. It has evolved over the last two years. It has gotten far more competitive, not just for paid assignments, but for readers! The stress of bigger, faster, prettier can weigh on you.

That’s why at the beginning of this year I added a second income stream to my portfolio; Avon. I knew that if I wanted to be content in 2016, I needed to pivot. Not quit the blogging industry, but change how I worked within it and Avon affords me that. I can stop fretting when things are slow in the blogging industry because I have a second income stream I can work.

So today, I also honor all the direct sale trailblazers who came before me and helped build Avon into the 130 year old business it is today! From the very beginning in 1886, Avon has been about empowering women.

Avon celebrates 130 years in business

Avon’s Chief Executive Officer Sheri McCoy said something very powerful and topical for today:

“We believe that a world with more empowered women will create a better, more beautiful world for everyone.“

I want to help continue to break down barriers, I want my daughters to see me as successful business woman on my own terms, I want to do my part to make this world a more beautiful place for everyone, so I’ll continue to write here from my unique point of view, which is almost always positive! I’ll be sharing my Avon journey here as well. It’s a part of My WAHM Plan now because I think it is important to show other women that working and earning at home is a possible!

I wish all women a very happy day today! Remember to value yourself, your time and your talents today and everyday!

Please share in comments: Have you had a woman impact your life in a positive way recently? How did you thank her? And, what does equality look like to you?

Keeping my sinus pressure away so I can enjoy the day with # SUDAFED® #FOMO #ad

in hashtag, help, life moments, sinus pain and pressure, by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, March 13, 2015

I wrote this post as part of my participation in a blog tour on behalf of the makers of SUDAFED® Brand and received compensation to thank me for taking the time to participate. However, all opinions expressed are my own.

There’s a new hashtag in town and I’d like to introduce you to it: #FOMO, also known as Fear Of Missing Out. I have met #FOMO on a couple of occasions recently, due in large part to terrible sinus pressure and pain. The hashtag may be new, but the need for sinus pressure relief is not! Since moving to middle Tennessee years ago, I’ve had to deal with sinus woes often and I would be lost and sidelined regularly if I didn’t use SUDAFED®!

One of my most recent run-ins with #FOMO was right before my youngest daughter’s big choir concert. I felt the pressure and pain coming on that afternoon, and knew if I wanted to show my sweet songbird daughter support by attending this major event, I’d have to take a SUDAFED® and nip that pain in the bud!

choir, sight reading, spring concert,

Not only was I able to attend the concert, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I wasn’t squinting to see the stage because of the terrible sinus pressure, nor was my head pounding along to the beat of the music.

Lots of people may assume sinus trouble is a spring-and-summer problem, but it can actually sideline you in any season. I’ve lived through sinus pressure and pain in the cold months as well.

Just a few weeks ago, Nashville got a rare and beautiful snow day! My kids were thrilled that the ice had stopped and they were finally seeing, big, fluffy, beautiful snowflakes! They ran outside to play, and in the case of my oldest daughter- capture the moment with her camera.

snow, photo, daughters, happy life, moments

I would have missed capturing this moment of my daughter capturing the moment if I hadn’t taken a SUDAFED® earlier that day at the first sign of sinus pain. I'm thankful I had a great product on hand during these special life moments. Even getting to write this post today singing the praises of a brand I trust and use often, is a special life moment made better because I have SUDAFED® in my medicine cabinet.

Do you or somebody you know suffer with sinus pain and pressure? Why not bring a smile to their face by sending them a Someecards meant just for us fighters of the #FOMO!

sinus, pain, funny e-card https://ooh.li/3fce333

SUDAFED® Brand has partnered with Someecards to produce e-cards, listicles and quizzes with the serious sinus sufferer in mind. Understanding that #FOMO (fear of missing out) is a reality for those with sinus trouble, this content serves as a reminder that sufferers no longer have to miss out on important moments - SUDAFED® products provide much needed relief from sinus pain, pressure and congestion.

Don't fear #FOMO!

To learn more about SUDAFED® products, check out their free sinus rescue plan, find savings coupons and more start by visiting their website here, then visit their Facebook page to see what their community of liberated sinus suffers (like me!) are up to.

Please share in comments:

Have you had a recent experience with #FOMO due to sinus pain and pressure?

Think beyond Black Friday to #GivingTuesday

in charity, community, give, help, support, by Linda A Kinsman, Thursday, November 20, 2014

When The Motherhood sent out an email asking for volunteer #GivingTuesday social media ambassadors, I signed up immediately because I had been putting a lot of thought into how I might use my online voice to help others offline.

proud #GivingTuesday #Ambassador

As a family, we give a little here and there all year long; whether that’s supporting Saint Jude when we get our hair cut, or donating our gently used clothes, toys and books to our local Goodwill.

We believe that every donation helps, no matter how big or small. It’s the act of giving that’s the important life lesson. We’ve always told our girls, we may not have everything we want, but we are blessed to have everything we need and that if we look closely, we will see someone who may be struggling to have their needs met.

With the holidays drawing near, you may be feeling blessed with all that you have as well, even if it isn’t all that you want. Now is the perfect time to lend a hand to those less fortunate. #GivingTuesday can help find a cause or non-profit that speaks to where you are in your life. This is a fairly new initiative so here’s some information for you.

About #GivingTuesday:

#GivingTuesday was founded in 2012 by New York’s 92^nd Street Y partnership with United Nations Foundation. #GivingTuesday, a global day dedicated to giving back, encourages people to share their own giving stories and favorite giving moments or organizations. No one charity is supported- with more than 12,000 nonprofit partners and projects, you have lots of choices on who to support and how, whether it's a tweet or a donation.

When: #GivingTuesday is on Tuesday December 2, 2014. Please join us:!

#GivingTuesday

I invite you to learn more about #GivingTuesday by visiting their website and then joining. You can help spread the Give on Tuesday December 2, 2014 by sharing your own #Unselfie and sharing ways you are giving by using hashtag #GivingTuesday on your social channels. You’ll be joining your voice with charities, families, businesses, students, community centers around the world coming together for one common purpose, to celebrate generosity and give.

Share your Unselfie!

My UNselfie #GivingTuesday

Here’s my #UNselfie showing the charities my family and I choose to support this #GivingTuesday. I hope you’ll join us and post your own #Unselfie! Tag me on Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram @ismilefirst so I can share in your giving choose. Tag and follow TheMotherhood as well on Twitter!

Like my #Unselfie? Visit the tools page at #GivingTuesday to download your own #Unselfie template, check out tool kits, ideas and more. And stay tuned for more information on a special Twitter party I’ll be co-hosting with other fab TheMotherhood ladies!

I am truly blessed and thankful that my little O'Hana has everything we need and that we are able to help those who don't have a better day.

Happy Holidays from our home to yours!

Easy DIY Flea Deterrent

in #homemaking, cats, diy, flea, help, by Linda A Kinsman, Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Somehow our home and pets managed to get fleas this summer. We are unsure where the original fleas came from because we have had indoor cats in our family for close to a decade and never had a flea problem. Regardless of how we got them, I had to make them go! I started researching safe methods of killing fleas without harming cats, family and belongings.

I read several stories of success using plain table salt. The instructions sounded simple enough: Cover your carpet with table salt and leave it on for three days. The fleas eat the salt, which so severely dehydrates them that they die. You leave the salt on the floor for three days, then wait 24 hours and do the whole process again and supposedly, within two weeks’ time, your home is flea free.

Our Princess Cat Dottie

Dottie

I liberally doused our carpeted rooms with salt, assuring my curious cats that this was for the greater good. They were dubious at best.

Six or seven hours into day one of Salt O’ the carpet and my oldest Cat Dottie, took to higher ground, refusing to walk on any salted/carpeted area. She would run at break neck speed from point A to point B and stayed on hardwood -tiled surfaces when at all possible. I felt so bad for her.

My husband and kids didn’t care for the crunchy feel of salt between their toes either, so by day two, I vacuumed up the salt. We did see a small difference in the fleas, so I knew I’d have to come up with a better solution. That’s when I decided to combine the Carpet fresh product my cats and family don’t mind with salt to see how it worked.

DIY flea deterrent #salt #carpetfresh

This is a super simple DIY project.

Use at least 1/3 box of Carpet Fresh Pet Fresh to make room for salt.
Add regular table salt to fill the box of Carpet Fresh. I used a small kitchen funnel aligned to the holes on the top of Carpet Fresh box.

Add salt to carpet fresh #DIY flea deterrent

Shake well to mix ingredients.
Sprinkle the mix liberally on carpet and let sit for as long as you can. I aim for at least 30 minutes.

Shake on liberal amount of #DIY flea deterrent

Then vacuum up.

Vacuuming daily, or at least every other day is a major key to breaking the fleas’ life cycle, as is the salt. We are using this method in conjunction with Flea medicine recommended by our Vet to combat these little biters. The Vet warned us that this could be an ongoing battle all summer. But at least we aren’t getting bit and our cats seem to be doing better.

Our little kitty Fiona

Fiona

Now if I could just get them not to be afraid of the vacuum!

Please share in comments: Has your cat or dog ever had fleas? What did you do to get rid of them?

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