[What are your favorite items from Aldi grocery store?]

We get 90% of our groceries at Aldi.  Their prices are so much cheaper and excellent quality.  Some of our favorite items we buy every week:

Organic coconut, olive, and avacodo oil

Nuts

Cheese

Free range eggs

Grass fed beef

Frozen chicken breast

Parmesan crisps

Spring mix salad/spinach

Fruits/veggies

Organic yellow corn tortilla chips

Grass fed butter

Organic bone broth

Organic whole bean fair trade coffee

[Binge-worthy Podcasts?]

Happy Face killer podcast by How Stuff Works.  

[Alzheimers. UG!]

I have recently read that there is a link between aluminum and Alzheimer's.  Metal toxicity  is responsible for many health issues.

[Should I take the Young Living plunge?]

Plant Therapy has a great wood grain diffuser that I have my eyes on. It gets great reviews and has timer options, which are a must have in my opinion.

[Should I take the Young Living plunge?]

No. I dislike MLM companies that claim their said company has the only pure oils on the market, astronomical prices, and promote unsafe usage. I like Edens Garden for affordable oils with transparency of third party testing of purity. Plant Therapy is another good one.

[most palatable dry dog food?]

Doesn't Barleans have xylitol in it? That isn't safe for dogs.

 

Yogurt might help...I could try that if the Bil Jac doesn't work.

 

Oh my goodness, you are right about xylitol! I didn't know that,and I usually check if ingredients are ok. I will stop giving him the Barleans and go back to Nordic Naturals. Now I feel like a terrible dog owner. Thank you for warning me.

[most palatable dry dog food?]

I add Barleans key lime flavored fish oil and a plain yogurt to dry dog food. My dog gobbles it right up and it is good for him. He also loves coconut oil.

I also give canned food. I buy it from Trader Joe's and can get three servings out of one can. Just enough to moisten the dry food and for extra flavor.

[Hostess gift idea]

Fancy bar soaps

Yankee candle

Good quality organic coffee beans, if they are coffee drinkers

[Kitchenaid dishwasher owners.....]

What detergent do you use? We just ordered a new one & cascade platinum is "recommended."

 

I have found that the Cascade Platinum pods truly work the best in my KitchenAid. We have tried the Cascade gel in the past, but it does not work as well as the platinum.

[s/o ...good immunity. Which probiotic(s) do you take?]

We don't take a supplement, but brew our own Kombucha.

[Fermentation Experimentation]

Ah, the rose kombucha is a lazy girl recipe.

 

Buy Dilmah Rose and French Vanilla tea.

Make up a batch of it and put in some sugar.

Pour into the scoby pot.

Binge on it.

 

 

One of these years I will have to get into this second ferment business, but in the meantime I use flavoured teas. I picked up some packets of tea from the Chinese shop the other month with goji berries, hawthorn fruit and all sorts of other interesting stuff. They're pretty good too.

Interesting, Rosie! I am fairly new to brewing Kombucha, been brewing for a few months. I keep hearing from other seasoned brewers to never use teas with added flavors or oils because it can ruin or alter the culture, and to always add flavor in the second ferment.

[HELP! pants for the curvy, cushion-y, short woman]

I have found Old Navy curvy fit me the best.

[Need advice from the GF experts...]

Another option that is not invasive and very accurate is to do Nutritional Response Testing. Our Nutritional Therapy Practitioner helped us figure out the underlying problems our son was having. We thought he was sensitive to gluten, but it was more than just gluten. He is so much better since we started going to the NTP.

[What is your biggest expense?]

Morgage and food expenses are about the same.

[Talk to me about kombucha]

I am still a newbie on brewing Kombucha, but you should never store scoby or starter in the fridge as it will kill off the yeast and bacteria, making it susceptible to mold.

The Kombucha Nation FB group is a great source of reliable and knowledgable information on all things related to Kombucha making.

[What is for Father' Day dinner?]

Pork roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, and green beans.

[Curriculum that was a hit this year at your house?]

My son has enjoyed IEW Fix It! Grammar, IEW Student Writing Intensive Group B, and WinterPromise American Culture.

[Deodorant and Anti-perspirant help]

I use Mitchum. It is far better than the clinical strength deodorants out there, and it is much cheaper. The natural deodorants never worked for me.

[Washing cleaning rags with family towels?]

I wash all our towels together. Kitchen towels, dish cloths, norwex enviro clothes, wash cloths, and bath towels. It never occurred to me to wash them separate. If they are really yucky, I wash them on the sanitize option, but most of the time I wash them on hot only. They always smell clean when they come out.

I use Norwex cloths, too. You are not supposed to wash them with anything linty.

 

I wash my cleaning rags with my whites. So they get thrown into my designated whites hamper until laundered. Washed with bleach on a heavy duty hot water cycle.

[True Confessions: I watched Counting On]

"And finally, Jessa's husband just seems like a bit of a butter knife. Not too sharp. Maybe the dim bulb in the bedroom was a metaphor. They also were talking about planning to adopt and they just sound like they are in La-La Land."

 

Well, he may seem dim witted, but he has a poly sci degree.

[Scariest movie?]

The Conjuring. So scary.

[Any great suggestions for getting rid of dog hair?]

To minimize it I'd look at diet. You want her on the best food for her (whatever that is).

 

A good Omega 3 supplement (like salmon or fish oil) can help.

 

As MercyA said, frequent bathing. It is especially helpful if the bathing is followed by drying with a forced air dryer. And that is best done either outside (if weather permits) or while the dog is still in the tub. The dryer will blow out so much loose fur there will probably be an unbelievable mess, especially the first time you do it. The bad news is a good forced air dryer will set you back a few hundred dollars (skip the less expensive ones, they won't work as well). Most people find taking their dog to a groomer for a regular deshedding treatment a better option than spending a lot of money on their own equipment.

 

I agree with Bill about Furminators being absolutely horrible. Yes, they will cut down on shedding, but it will be at the expense of your dog's coat.

 

Contrary to what Bill said, though, I'm not a fan of slicker brushes for anything other than working tangles out of longer coated dogs. It's quite easy to brush burn a dog with a slicker brush. If you choose to use one make sure you get a softer one -- you can test it on the inside of your arm. Some (I would say most) of them are very rough. You definitely do NOT want to "dig" into the dog's coat with one. Use a very light, gentle touch and use it as little as possible. If I were going to use one regularly (I wouldn't) I would spend the money and get a Les Poochs. They're top of the line and the only slicker brush I would consider ordering w/o being able to test it on my own arm before purchasing. But again -- slicker brushes are really meant for removing mats, a quick swipe over at the end of a groom to remove already loose hair laying on the coat, or for fluffing longer coated dogs. None of them are meant to be used for marathon brushing sessions.

 

My preference for short coated dogs is a Zoom Groom. IME even most dogs (and cats) who hate to be brushed will tolerate the Zoom Groom very well. They're soft and gentle and most dogs seem to feel like they're enjoying a massage. But it's best used outside. I do have one of the curry gloves like Bill linked to, but I find them too bulky and stiff to use effectively. The Zoom Groom is essentially the same thing and works much better for me. My preference for a Zoom Groom over a curry glove may be due more to the (lack of) size and (lack of) strength of my hands than the products themselves. I particularly find the Zoom Groom easier to use on smaller dogs and cats.

 

(Edited to correct "him" to "her." I hate it when I refer to a dog by the wrong pronoun. ;))

I agree about the Zoom Groom. It works very well on my short haired dog's coat, and he loves it because it feels more like a massage.

[What is your favorite baked chicken recipe.]

This is my favorite chicken recipe. It is so flavorful and yummy! http://paleoleap.com/roasted-citrus-herb-chicken/

[Best Little Women movie version?]

Also a '94 fan! I watch it at Christmas every year and sob... but my ugly cry moment is when *that person* receives *that gift* from grandfather after her illness has passed.

 

:wub: :wub: :wub:

 

Yes! I love the 94 version. I also watch it every Christmas. Susan Sarandon as Marme is brilliant!

[Just for fun- gifts you loved]

This Christmas was extra special to me because this was the first Christmas in several years to be able to buy gifts for family. It was fun being able to shop and pick something special for each person.

 

The kids and I bought my hubby gift cards to Scheels so he can pick out what he wishes. Seeing him open them up was such a great moment. I explained to him that usually when he receives cash as a gift he always ends up using it for us or things we need, as he is so thoughtful and considerate of our needs. So we bought gift cards so it would only be used for him. He teared up a bit. Best moment!

 

I was grateful to receive a nice set of tri ply stainless steel pots and pans. We really needed to replace our old ones. I don't have a lot of cabinet space for them so we will be getting a pot rack.