Tissue Paper Holder

Thanks to an idea from Pinterest and a couple baby bed rails donated by my friend Annie I now have a new holder for my reams of tissue paper.  I use the tissue papaer primarily to wrap my soaps and the four reams take up a lot of room.  My Soap Room is really our little teeny iny third bedroom, so, a floor rack such as Rod suggested just wasn't gonna happen.  BUT, I do have a bit of wall room left!

The bed rails that Annie had laying around needed a bit of sanding and a quick spray paint job.  Of course it took me a couple weeks to figure out a plan and then another week to get all my supplies--trips to Walmart and Home Depot were necessary.  When the sanding and painting were done, the rails looked like this:

I had to find some hangers for my plaster walls that would hold a lot of weight.  I never weighed the rails, but, when you add on up to 1000 sheets of tissue--it can get heavy.  So I found some plaster hangers good for 80 pounds and a couple hinges.  I would have liked to get a heavier hinge, but, the rail didn't have enough width to use bigger ones.  Down the road if the small ones don't hold up, I will find some strap hinges to switch out for the small ones. 

First Rod helped me hold up the back rail--the one that would hold all the weight to the wall--and get it leveled so I could get the wall anchors in.  I had hinged the two pieces when they were laying flat out on the porch.  To hang it though, the pieces had to be unhinged. 

Then while I held it and took a picture, Rod screwed in the hinges at the bottom of the wall mounted rail.  I plan on running a rope from the top of the outer rail which will then be able to swing down to about a 45 degree angle so I can add or remove tissue and then just pull it back up to its storage position. 


The rack full and mounted is shown below.   I just need to get some screw hooks and eyes to finish rigging the rope system.  But, I already LOVE it!  Score #1 finished project thanks to my pins on Pinterest!!

Award Winning Folk Artist...ME!

I have been doing Fiesta in the Park for over 13 years which means I have done the Spring and Fall shows there at Lake Eola over 20 times since I started making soap.   This year was special because I won an award!  I entered in the Folk Art category and was lucky to actually see the judges and spend some time with them showing them my production pictures, letting them feel my big log of Everything but the Kitchen Sink Soap and even giving them my little sample chunks to try.  It worked!

Sunday afternoon a detail of the show's staff showed up at my booth with the second place ribbon above, a nice cash prize and took pictures!  Betty Lou, the show's new director, even ordered 10 bars to be delivered at the end of the show for her volunteers.   She was going to thank them for doing a dirty job! 

Cholestrol Checkup and Emily Update

I had my bloodwork rechecked last week and yesterday was the appointment to see how I did since starting on my "lifestyle" change in January.  I was gonna say diet, but, honestly I don't really think I am dieting.  I eat most everything I want--I just don't want to eat a lot of the stuff I once did.  Other than chocolate, pizza, Chinese food--oh crap I guess I still have lots of cravings. 

The doctor's scale showed the same as my Wii--I was down 13 pounds.  I actually have yo-yo'd a bit on the weight, but all in all I am pretty happy with those results.  My total cholestrol fell 20 points so it is in good shape along with my triglicerides which are great.  But the good and the bad cholestrol are another story.  The good just keeps getting worse and the bad is getting worse too! 

So, the doctor still wants to put me on medication which I totally don't understand.  Well, I do understand it based on my family history.  I would probably have more problems with the side affects than with the benefits from lowering a couple components of my overall cholestrol.  We talked and decided that while I did make great progress on the eating end of things, I still have LOTS of room to improve my commitment to exercise.  

So, the next three months I plan to be a workout fool.  I think that will really work when I leave for Illinois in a couple weeks--my sister has a much better attitude toward working out and maybe it will rub off on me!  Plus, exercise has been shown to have a great impact on upping good cholestrol. 

SO, I am off to walk with Bonnie Dog.  And dust off the Wii for the later...

OH, and part of our Wii Weigh-in--Emily is up to almost 7 pounds.  She is still loving her Science Diet YD food--both the wet and the dry.  And unfortunately Bonnie steals it whenever we forget to put it up which means she is still gaining weight.  So, little Bonnie and I both really do need that walk!

 

Tax Day--My Quarterly Tax Mid Year Resolution

The check is in the mail...no really...our annual check went out this morning along with the quarterly tax payment to make the April 17th mailing deadline.  I much prefer getting a refund...however small.  But this was not to be one of those years. 

We generally withhold extra through Rod's paycheck.  The last few years, with the economy taking a dump and all the Obama era tax incentives we haven't had to worry too much about extra quarterly payments for my business.  Rod has basically been paying my tax bill...poor guy.  Think of all the cameras and lens he could have bought!

This year I didn't do a very good job withholding quarterly, thus the tax bill due today.  So, this year I am going to pay more attention in June, September and next January on how business is going so I can get a jump start on April 2013.  My sister has already promised to help remind me.  It really is painless--other than writing out the check.  I already have the business numbers tallied--so no excuses!!

Hope your tax day is going smoothly!!

My Best Friend

In the marriage lottery, I got EXTREMELY lucky.  But I was still kind of surprised when I read about a study reported in Real Simple Magazine that was conducted by the journal "Social Psychological and Personality Science".  They found that of couples married over 10 years, 84% would say they are "very in love", "intensely in love" or "very intensely in love". 

So often we hear the downside of relationships that go awry--from divorce, to spousal abuse all the way to seemingly innocuous benign neglect.  Who knew there were so many happily married people running around? 

In the same issue of Real Simple, the February issue, they also examined what were the most important traits in a spouse.  I must say that Rod possesses most of them.  It's not all a bed of roses, mind you.  It's just that the good so far outweighs the bad.   If you had to make a list of traits you would like your spouse, your friends, or say someone you had to be stranded on an island with, you might consider this a pretty good shopping list.  (In no particular order...)

1.     Mutual Respect
2.     Gratitude
3.     Helpfulness
4.     Positive Outlook
5.     Kindness
6.     Putting Family First
7.     Loyalty
8.     Adaptability
9.     Drive
10.  Thoughtful Communication
11.  Sense of Humor

This is something we should teach our kids--it should be the basis for a Health Ed class.  Every single young person should have this list in mind as they think about dating and forming friendships. If the potential date is lacking wholly in one of these traits, keep looking.  Another great person is out there and has all of these traits and more too numerous to recount! 

I hope my nephews and nieces are paying attention...

Spa Salts 100% Natural

Bath Salts with Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Spearmint and Rosemary
Essential Oils for soaking and muscle and joint pain, 15 ounces, $8.00

I was playing around with some new jars for my "Bath Sand" Bath Salts this week and this is the final product.  Well, this is the version I will have with me at The Fiesta in the Park at Lake Eola in Orlando this weekend.  I was thinking the blue and the sand color would go nice together, but, now that I see the ribbon with it--I am gonna go white instead of sand next time.  Still, they are cute, aren't they???

My Spa Blend Salts are so popular with people looking to soak away the day's aches and pains.  The blend of essential oils all help to ease muscle and joint pains and help you relax. 

These Salts contain epsom salts, sea salt, baking sode, cream of tarter, Essential Oils, Vitamin E and mica for color.   Note:  if you plan to soak in the tub but you need moisture try by Bath Fizzies instead. 

Just add some music, a glass of wine and SOAK!!!

http://www.jackiesoap.com/ to order

TimeBanks--Anybody In?

I was reading an article in the AARP Magazine last month and came across an interesting idea ( full article at http://www.aarp.org/money/budgeting-saving/info-02-2012/time-banking.html).  TimeBanks run on a simple premise--for each hour of service that members give, they earn an hour's worth of "time dollars" which can be traded for services from other members.  Everyone's time is valued the same--so the CPA's time equals the dogwalkers which equals the house  painters which equals the hours contributed by the caterer.  Cool, huh?!

The national organization (TimeBanks.org) has established the following core values. 

1.  We are all assets--We all have something to give.

2.  Some work is beyond price--Work has to be redefined to value whatever it takes to raise healthy children, build strong families, revitalize neighborhoods, make democracy work, advance social justice, make the planet sustainable. That kind of work needs to be honored, recorded and rewarded.

3.  Helping works better as a two-way street--The question: “How can I help you?” needs to change so we ask: “How can we help each other build the world we both will live in?”

4. We need each other--Networks are stronger than individuals. People helping each other reweave communities of support, strength & trust. Community is built upon sinking roots, building trust, creating networks. Special relationships are built on commitment.

5. Every human being matters--Respect underlies freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and everything we value. Respect supplies the heart and soul of democracy. When respect is denied to anyone, we all are injured. We must respect where people are in the moment, not where we hope they will be at some future point.

I was so excited to get involved that I checked out the membership listing, but, alas no timebanks in my immediate area.  Want to see if there is one near you?  Go to http://community.timebanks.org/ and see if you can join. 

I love the idea of fostering real community ties.  In Orlando we have such a transient population.  It seems as if everyone is from somewhere else.  Many of us don't have family support systems available.  The idea that together we are better than alone is a huge plus to me. 

Imagine being able to bank hours for things like:   driving members to doctor's appointments or to grocery shop, giving haircuts or dance lessons, providing health care, home weatherization, mending clothes,  electrical or plumbing services, yard work, house cleaning--the possibilities are endless.   You of course would still have to pay for materials used (like paint if you had your house painted), but, the labor savings could be huge.  AND, you have gotten to know your neighbors and built lasting relationships. 

I wish the idea would take off in every neighborhood or community.