Decluttering: Properly Disposing of Paint, Electronics, and more

In the spirit of de-cluttering, you may be left with items you cannot or should not throw away.  Here is how to properly dispose of some of those items, and in some cases, re-purpose them:

PAINT

The following information is from Lowe's

Paint can be toxic and dangerous to the environment if not disposed of properly. Follow these steps for safely getting rid of that extra paint that you no longer need.

Latex Paints 

Step 1

• Here's how to dispose of latex paint without taking it to a recycling center.

• Add equal parts cat litter to latex paint in the can. If you have more than a half a can, you can also pour the paint into a lined box or trash can. Then pour in cat litter.

Step 2

• Stir the cat litter into the paint until it thickens and will not spill. Allow the mixture to sit for one hour.

Step 3

• Throw the dried paint in the can in the garbage. Make sure to remove the lid.

Good to Know

If you don't have much paint left in the can, you can just remove the lid and let the paint dry out on its own. Make sure that it's in a location where small children or pets can't get to it.
There are also commercial paint hardeners that you can purchase if you prefer not to use cat litter. Just follow the manufacturer's instructions.

Oil-Based Paints

• Oil-based paints are considered hazardous waste and must be taken to a recycling center.

To find a place to safely dispose of your latex and oil-based paints, use our Recycling Center Locator.

Good to Know
Consider donating your paint to a community center, charity, place of worship, local theater or Habitat for Humanity ReStore. They're often working on projects with a limited budget and could use the extra supplies.

Electronics:  Cell Phones, TV's and Similar Items

The following information from the EPA:

Electronic products are made from valuable resources and materials, including metals, plastics, and glass, all of which require energy to mine and manufacture. Donating or recycling consumer electronics conserves our natural resources and avoids air and water pollution, as well as greenhouse gas emissions that are caused by manufacturing virgin materials.

For example:

• Recycling one million laptops saves the energy equivalent to the electricity used by more than 3,500 US homes in a year.
• For every million cell phones we recycle, 35 thousand pounds of copper, 772 pounds of silver, 75 pounds of gold, and 33 pounds of palladium can be recovered.

 Click Here to Find the Closest Place to Donate or Recycle These Items

Motor Oil

The following information is from Dummies

Never dump oil onto the ground, throw it out with your regular garbage, or flush it down a drain. It’s a major toxic pollutant that needs to be treated accordingly. In many locales, putting oil filters into a landfill is against the law, so you may risk a fine.

So what do you do with your old oil? Decant the oil from the garbage bag that was in your collection pan into clean disposable containers with tight-fitting, screw-on lids — the bottles that the new oil came in or old, washed soda bottles work well. Place a funnel in the neck of the container, tie-off the bag, and hold it above the funnel. Then cut a tiny hole in a bottom corner of the bag and let the oil drain out of the bag into the funnel and container. You may want to cover the ground underneath the container with a thick layer of newspapers.

Oil recyclers probably won’t accept oil that’s contaminated with another substance or in a dirty container, so take it to a toxic waste disposal center.

The Steel Recycling Institute says that if all the oil filters sold in the United States each year were recycled, enough material would be recovered to build 16 stadiums the size of Atlanta’s Olympic Stadium! Many auto parts stores and some service stations accept old oil and oil filters for recycling. If you don’t have one close by, look in your local yellow pages for the nearest oil recycling center or toxic waste disposal center, or visit Earth911 or the Filter Council Web sites and enter your zip code.

Batteries

The following information from Wiki How

Millions of batteries of all types and sizes are disposed of in the United States each year. Because they contain various hazardous materials, including heavy metals and acids, they can pose serious environmental risks if not discarded properly. If you want to learn how to dispose of batteries, consider these guidelines.

• Do NOT Dispose of alkaline batteries in the regular trash - they go with household hazardous waste collection for special recycling.
•  Dispose of button batteries at a hazardous waste collection site. 
•  Dispose of lead-acid vehicle batteries at the retailer.

Smoke Detectors

The following information is from NH DES:

Some retailers will take back all brands of smoke alarms/detectors that they sell. Please contact the retail store at which you purchased your smoke detector for more information.

The following brands of smoke alarms/detectors are returnable to their original manufacturers. Mark the box "For Disposal" before mailing. Please contact the manufacturer before mailing your old smoke alarm/detector. Some manufacturers require a fee or have special requirements if the device is no longer under warranty.

Brand Name	Company	Mailing Address	Phone
American Sensors	Dicon Global	20 Steelcase Rd., W., Unit 3, Markham, Ontario L3R 1B2 Canada	(800) 387-4219
BRK	First Alert	Cusomer Service Disposal, 3901 Liberty St. Rd. Aurora, IL 60504	(800) 323-9005
Dicon Global	Dicon Global	20 Steelcase Rd., W., Unit 3, Markham, Ontario L3R 1B2 Canada	(800) 387-4219
Family Safety Products	Family Safety Products	Returns, 2879 Remico St. SW, Grandville, MI 49418	(616) 530-6540
Firex	Invensys Controls	"For Disposal Only", 28C Leigh Fisher Blvd., El Paso, TX 79906	(800) 445-8299
First Alert	First Alert	Cusomer Service Disposal, 3901 Liberty St. Rd. Aurora, IL 60504	(800) 323-9005
Garrison	Dicon Global	20 Steelcase Rd., W., Unit 3, Markham, Ontario L3R 1B2 Canada	(800) 387-4219
Gentex	Gentex	Returns, 600 N. Centennial St., Zeeland, MI 49464	(800) 436-8391
Honeywell	Honeywell	Returns, 1985 Douglas Dr. N., Dock 4 (MN10), Golden Valley, MN 55422	(800) 328-5111
Kidde	Kidde	1394 S. Third St., Mebane, NC 27302	(800) 880-6788
LifeSaver	Kidde	1394 S. Third St. Mebane, NC 27302	(800) 880-6788
Masterguard	Masterguard	801 Hammond St., #200 Coppell, TX 75019	(877) 453-3473
Nighthawk	Kidde	1394 S. Third St. Mebane, NC 27302	(800) 880-6788
North-American	Dicon Global	20 Steelcase Rd., W., Unit 3, Markham, Ontario L3R 1B2 Canada	(800) -800-387-4219
System Sensor	System Sensor	3825 Ohio Ave. St. Charles, IL 60174	(800) 736-7672
Triad Safety Systems	Triad Safety Systems	4595 Airport Rd. Kearney, NE 68847	1-800-240-7681

Why I Hate Surprises BUT I Love Surprises

Usually people generally hate surprises or they love them.  Of course it all depends on the surprise itself...good or bad.

Bad Surprises
I am not a big fan of bad surprises - but who would be?  For instance, the kids are being unusually quiet so I check on them - and what i find is a HUGE pile of pillows and blankets they are referring to as a beaver lodge, and puzzle pieces scattered all over the room (and they wonder why we are always missing pieces?). 

OR you are almost done your work shift and are winding down, thinking you may get home at a reasonable time, or even early!  Then your manager walks in and ask you to do "just a couple more things" which take you 2 more hours.  Although GREAT for the paycheck, not always my favorite surprise.

Good Surprises
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the occasional good surprise...like the time my husband surprised me on my birthday by secretly arranging for Grandma to babysit so we could go on a date alone together.  With these being so rare, they have more meaning, and I appreciate them tremendously.

Awkward Surprises
Then there are those weird "surprises" where things don't match.  Like Rick Astley's voice and face (Rick Astley on YouTube), or a sour grape you're expecting to be sweet. Or even walking in on something you weren't supposed to see...yikes!

Fall is Coming - Cool Leaf with Eyes

Technically, Fall is here, but we REALLY know it has arrived now that the leaves are falling.  In an effort not to make this an "all-grumpy" day, I decided to share a photo of a cool leaf my son and I found outside the other day.  I promise, this was not doctored, this leaf really does have "eyes".  ~Celebrating Life's Everyday Accomplishments~

Grumpy Me - Pessimism - Be Nice

Well, this morning I woke up with a pounding headache after not enough sleep, so I am trying my best not to be grumpy.  I try and try to look at the good side of things, but it's just so hard because it is easier (and more fun, sometimes) to be a pessimist.  Although I do HATE that about myself (only a pessimist would say that).

I realized how selfish AND pessimistic I am when I recently saw a news headline regarding Obama pushing for paid maternity leave.  I SHOULD think "Oh good!  This is good for all humanity!"  But no.  Instead, without even reading the article, I can only think "Yeah, NOW they do it...after I already had my 3 kids."

Why is it such hard work to be happy?  I feel like I have to work at it.  All day long, it seems like things don't work in my favor, and of course I blow them out of proportion.  God forbid I drop something 3 times in 1 day - and it just means I have having the worst day of my life. 

Who are these people who are SUPER happy all the time, with a smile on their faces?  I admit, I am envious of those people.  All the while I am wondering if that is how they truly feel or are they covering something up?  I read one of those Facebook posts that said you should be nice to everyone you meet because they are most likely fighting a battle you know nothing about.  I think that is true.  Some worse than others, but no one has a REALLY carefree life, do they?

And if we can nice to strangers most of the time, why can't we be THAT nice to our own family members MOST of the time?  I don't believe the people who say they "never fight with their spouse".  Again, my pessimistic side is coming out...but I think the idea of never disagreeing with your significant other means you don't talk about things the way you should, and you must have bigger issues.  Stop avoiding conflict and voice your opinion.  My husband and I argue about things, but what really matters is HOW we argue - respectfully - and that we work together to come up with a resolution.  That makes us a great team.  No relationship is all flowers and rainbows all the time.

One time I heard someone say "I love you, but I don't always love the things you do."  I thought it was genius because it is so true.  Word to the wise - don't say it to your significant other.  I tried that once with all good intentions...to let him know I didn't agree with him but I still loved him.  I don't think he interpreted it that way.   Oops!

De-Cluttering Your Living Space

Now that Autumn is upon us, the cooler air is rolling in and as the house slowly closes down for the approaching winter season, I feel more and more cluttered in our indoor "sanctuary".

I decided months ago that I would have to de-clutter.  But what I didn't realize at the time and soon discovered later was that trying to tackle "1 room at a time" was too overwhelming.  Finally, I figured out that instead, I would have to do a more manageable load if I wanted it to actually get done...one BOX at a time.

As the kids take a nap (IF they take a nap), I have about an hour to sort through 1 box of stuff.  Usually it's a box of stuff we haven't accessed in a while, so I know there is stuff in there I can get rid of.

If you are going to get serious about de-cluttering, and take advantage of the situation and make a few $$ instead of just throwing things away, read the rest of this article on my other blog at the link attached.

Saving for Something - Selling Stuff You Dont Use

Homemade Bum Ointment for Baby Diaper Rash

This recipe's ingredients sound weird, but I got it from the Perdiatrician's office when Desitin wasn't working well on it's own.  This stuff worked like a charm - eased the pain and cleared up the rash fast.  The recommendation is that you whip this up, spread it on your child's rash until it clears, and cover it with Vaseline before you cover it with the diaper (each application).  Good Luck!

1/4 cup antacid (Malox, Mylanta, or similar)
2 oz tube (1/4 cup) of antifungal cream (Monistat, Lotramin, or similar)
1/4 cup Desitin (or similar diaper rash cream)
1 Tablespoon antibiotic ointment (Neosporin or similar)

Mix well - all ingredients in a clean Tupperware-type container.
Keep covered.
No need to refridgerate.
Discard when it starts to turn brown or when rash is gone. (Fresh batch next time.)

Going to Church with Kids

I grew up in Catholic family.  We went to mass every weekend, but as we left church, my Dad would say (in French) "Our mass is done!".  In other words, cross it off the "to-do" list.  I suppose in some way, that sent mixed messages...did he WANT to be there, or was it something he felt we HAD to do?

As a teenager working 3 jobs, at some point I fell away from the church and struggled with the guilt of not going.  Later I decided something was "missing" and spoke to my then boyfriend (now-husband) about it.  There was a "Welcome Back" class at the local church and I wanted to attend, but was nervous about it, not knowing what to expect.  Despite his Catholic background being limited to weddings and funerals, he volunteered to accompany me for the 6-week program.

The class was informational, casual, and of non-pressure nature.  It was fun and we met some great people.  Immediately, we felt welcome and a sense of belonging.  We are still friends with several of those people now, and we started attending mass every weekend.  My husband (still boyfriend at the time) decided to go through the RCIA program to finish his sacrifices, and later we married in the church.

As time progressed we had children and happily brought them to church with us.  The first child was simple, especially as a baby.  When she got a little older, we brought books and a coloring book, and even a mini-magna-doodle to keep her occupied.  The challenge started when we had our second child, who never really could sit quietly (still can't today, unless the TV is on).  Yet we struggled through it and continued bringing them.

Nowadays, we have the 3 kids ages 1, 3, and 6 and we are REALLY struggling with the whole church thing.  We WANT to bring them and we think it would be good for all of us to go as a family.  The problem is, we leave church not knowing what the priest spoke about and in a place where we should be most happy and kind, we are having frustrated and angry thoughts as we try to wrangle the children.  We can't help but think...is it really worth going?  And if so, should we go as a family or break it up and have each adult go at separate times?

Most people we have spoken to have been in our situation and continue to encourage us to go - but we don't look forward to the struggle.  And while we are there, I can feel the stares on the back of my neck from other church-goers as we try to kids our kids quiet (maybe it's just my imagination?).  I like to sit closer to the front, thinking the kids may behave better and even pay attention if they can see what's happening.  My husband prefers to sit in the back so we don't disturb and distract as many people and make a quick getaway if we need to.

This past weekend I dropped my daughter off at CCD and went upstairs to mass alone - to represent the family.  I was so at peace and remembered why I liked going. In fact, I was at peace most of the day after that, too.

Would love your thoughts and feelings about this if you are willing to share.

Date Night (Sept 2014)

For the first time in 3 months, my husband and I went on "date night".  A friend of mine came to watch the kids - we normally trade off each month so we don't have to pay for a babysitter, but we skipped the summer months due to busy schedules.

I had forgotten how important date night is.  We get stressed with everyday "stuff" and we are so focused on the kids, work, housecleaning, hobbies, and other projects around the house that we tend to stop focusing on each other.  Don't get me wrong -  we love each other and WANT to spend time together - but at the end of the day all we really want to do is sit down and relax.  Lately, that translates into putting the kids to bed, showering, changing into our pj's and sitting next to each other on the couch and eating snacks until we fall asleep.

Sure we talk about exercising or playing a game, but we have been WAY too stressed and WAY too worn out from all the day's events. 

So when it was time to decide what we were going to do on date night, we were at a loss. 

First off, my friend who is watching the kids will not arrive until about 7:30pm. (We agreed to give each other time to put the kids to bed before babysitting.)  What is there to do starting at 8pm? 

Secondly, we are already exhausted at this time - the time we normally settle down to do nothing for the night.  What could we possibly have energy for? 

I knew going to the movies was a terrible idea...if we were just going to sit next to each other and watch the big screen, and eat snacks and not have a conversation, what is the point?  That's what we do every night.

Well, we left the house an headed to the closest "big city" and decided to go to the local indoor amusement park and arcade entertainment center.  It's one of these places where you buy tokens, play games, get tickets, and turn them in for cheap prizes. We occasionally go there on date nights in attempt to have fun.  Usually we have a friendly competition in the skee ball area.

We actually did have a good time, and laughing and smiling really brought us to life.  We worked together to win as many tickets as we could, combined them with tickets we won in previous visits ( the guy at the counter was laughing at as us we turned them in, some from 2006!) and decided on prizes to take home to the kids, although as stingy as I am, they will probably be held and turned into Christmas gifts.  All-in-all a fun time.  

We left there and went Uno's for a few drinks and since I had a $10 off coupon, some small appetizers.  We got to talking and discussed things we liked about our life and things we want to change, and future goals (short and long-term).  So some of the conversation was about the kids - so what?  The important part was that we remembered that it was OUR life...not His life and Her life, but OUR life together. OUR home, OUR family, OUR future - and we felt reconnected.  The romance sparked from there, and date night served it's purpose...to get us out of the house, to focus on each other, and rekindle our relationship. 

**At some point I mentioned to him that I wished I was more attractive for him.  His response?  "We are two regular-looking people who love each other...what could be better than that?"  LOVE this man!

Kids, Sleep, Schedules

Since I have 3 children between the ages of 1 and 6, I laughed when I read a magazine article about the sleeping requirements for children.  I don't remember it word-for-word, but I do remember the article telling me that kids ages 3-6 years old should get 12 hours sleep, and in order to ensure a quality sleep, they should not eat for 3 hours before bedtime.

Right now my kids are in bed around 7:15pm and wake-up around 6am (about 10 hours and 45 minutes).  Not quite 12 hours, but not bad, right?   Well, in order to go to bed at that time, and not eat for 3 hours before, they would have to finish dinner by 4:15pm.  That's not going to happen.  We aim to eat dinner between 5pm and 5:30pm, and that is considered "early" for most people.  I did some additional research:

Although this is not the article I originally read, according to WebMD:

"1-3 Years Old: 12 - 14 hours per day

As your child moves past the first year toward 18-21 months of age he will likely lose his morning and early evening nap and nap only once a day. While toddlers need up to 14 hours a day of sleep, they typically get only about 10.

Most children from about 21 to 36 months of age still need one nap a day, which may range from one to three and a half hours long. They typically go to bed between 7 and 9 p.m. and wake up between 6 and 8 a.m.

3-6 Years Old: 10 - 12 hours per day

Children at this age typically go to bed between 7 and 9 p.m. and wake up around 6 and 8 a.m., just as they did when they were younger. At 3, most children are still napping, while at 5, most are not. Naps gradually become shorter as well. New sleep problems do not usually develop after 3 years of age."

At this stage in the game, I must leave for work before the bedtime routine starts most nights, so my husband handles that (a GREAT husband, I know!).  And although I know several people whose kids stay up much later than 7:15pm, we can't do it - in all honestly, bedtime can't come soon enough.  WE NEED A BREAK from the kids, and we need to have some adult time or quiet alone time for other hobbies or to just relax.

Where do you stand?

First Grade and Homework

Last year my daughter was in half-day Kindergarten.  Although she was average in math, she excelled in reading and was challenged quite a bit through homework.  We probably spent almost as much time working on homework each night as she did in school each day (2.5 hours).  It wasn't so bad at the time, because she had the rest of the day to work on it. 

This year, with her being in full-day 1st Grade, it seems to be much more of a struggle.  Although the year has just begun, and we haven't had too much homework yet, finding the time is not easy.  We can just forget about trying to accomplish anything in the morning...getting 3 kids to the bus-stop by 8:10am is challenging enough...I will not be adding homework to the mix, not to mention, thought would REALLY be waiting until the last minute to get it done.

In the afternoon, she gets off the bus around 3:45pm. She is WAY too full of energy to sit down and concentrate on homework.  Besides, being a kid means she should play outside after school while it's still light out before dinner.  She enjoys seeing her siblings and misses them after a long day.

We eat dinner between 5pm and 5:30pm.  Then around 6pm we start the homework.  We have a half-an-hour before we start the bedtime routine.  She is bright, but easily distrated, making the homework torture for all of us.

I think homework at this age is good to a degree, but we seem to get nightly assignments in addition to week-long assignments due at the end of the week.  Seems like alot, and since she is so young, it's not just homework for HER...it is for Mom and Dad, too.

I would love some feedback from all of you about how much homework your young child has and what time you get to it, and if you feel like it is overload or not.  Let's share opinions and ideas.  Thanks!

Welcome

You might already be reading several blogs each day - some that teach you to cook, some that talk about improving your health, and some about saving money (my favorite)...or any other subject you can imagine.

This blog is about nothing specific - exposing aspects of everyday life's challenges and accomplishments to give regular people something to relate to.  Actually, I hate the idea of exposing my life to the world, but the internet and world of social media is so good at exposing the "best" of people and hiding the worst, and making everyday, regular people feel, well...like they aren't doing enough.

Here it is, in black and white (and sometimes color) - the life of a real person, good and bad, and how I deal with situations, right or wrong.  I can't say I am an expert in anything...but I do have experiences in several areas:  I am a:

-Daughter
-Sister
-Aunt
-Wife
-Mother
-Employee
-Scrapbooker
-Multiple Sclerosis patient
-Couponer
-Community Volunteer

Can you relate to any of those things?  If so, we can explore real every day challenges and accomplishments together.  Welcome!