Dashing through the "Ice" ?

As I write this, it is raining & sleeting. I just got home from work & last minute shopping & the roads are getting slippery. We are anxiously awaiting the forecast for tomorrow. It seems to change hourly when the temps are around 32 degrees. Right now there is a weather advisory for our area due to icy conditions & a flood advisory. By Christmas day we could have over an inch of rain (which is better, driving -wise than snow). The tricky part is when & if the sleet turns to rain & will it stay rain. Kristin & Tim are set to travel the 2 1/2 hours here tomorrow early evening unless the conditions stay icy. The last thing I want is for them to be on the road in bad conditions. So we wait & see. My brother is hosting Christmas Eve again with lots of good snacks & cookies. Shane lives close to him & will then travel back to our house to spent the night (along with Kristin & Tim, I hope). Amy & Rob will come over in the morning. We cook a big breakfast of veggie omelets, fresh fruit & hash browns. Then we exchange gifts. Steve is busy at work right now finishing up some of the handmade gifts he is making. Mine are finished & under the tree already.
Can't believe how fast the year went. Lots of changes at the farm, new friends made, baby on the way, an engagement, and putting the house on the market, etc, etc...
I hope all of you & your families have a safe & merry Christmas and peace in the new year.

Merry Christmas!!!

Hand-stitched Wool Dryer Balls

What do I do in my spare time? Which is usually only on the trip to Wisconsin every weekend :-)

I have been making wool dryer balls. I love these things. Besides being fun to play with, they are a great addition to your laundry room. Here is a list of things they do...

1. Save you money by cutting down on your drying times. You can possibly cut 25-30% off the time it takes you to dry a load of laundry. Another savings is not having to buy toxic dryer sheets. (See below for list of ingredients.)

2. Eliminate the static

3. Soften your clothes

4. Keep the kids entertained. Yes, they are a great toy.

Things they don't do...

1. Coat the lint screen. I never knew dryer sheets did this until I did a little research. That can make drying times longer, burn out the heating element & be a fire hazard.

2. Pollute the air, inside & out. See info below...

3. Fold your laundry. Sorry :-)

List of just some of the chemicals found in fabric softeners and dryer sheets

Benzyl acetate: Linked to pancreatic cancer

Benzyl Alcohol: Upper respiratory tract irritant

Ethanol: On the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Hazardous Waste list and can cause central nervous system disorders

Limonene: Known carcinogen

A-Terpineol: Can cause respiratory problems, including fatal edema, and central nervous system damage

Ethyl Acetate: A narcotic on the EPA's Hazardous Waste list

Camphor: Causes central nervous system disorders

Chloroform: Neurotoxic, anesthetic and carcinogenic

Linalool: A narcotic that causes central nervous system disorders

Pentane: A chemical known to be harmful if inhaled

Fabric softeners stay in your clothing for long periods of time. The chemicals chemicals are slowly released either into the air for you to inhale or onto your skin for you to absorb. Dryer sheets are particularly noxious because they are heated in the dryer & the chemicals are released through dryer vents & out into the environment. Health effects from being exposed to the chemicals in fabric softeners include:

Central nervous system disorders

Headaches

Nausea

Vomiting

Dizziness

Blood pressure reduction

Irritation to skin, mucus membranes and respiratory tract

Pancreatic cancer

So, do you still want to throw those little sheets in your dryer? If not, check out the little ad in the side bar and try some out. I have lots of happy customers so far. And...besides being environmentally friendly, they are post traumatic stress disorder friendly. This is what keeps me busy while Steve is driving. Very effective!