Health & Beauty - Natural Teeth Whitening

This is an easy and relatively inexpensive way to help whiten your teeth and freshen your breath.

You will need:

• A pre-brushing rinse. I like Listerine Whitening Vibrant White.
• Baking Soda in a small container with a lid.
• Hydrogen Peroxide. I like to use the smaller bottles with the built-in sprayer.

Start with a pre-brushing whitening rinse. Use as recommended.
Take a dry toothbrush and dip it liberally into the baking soda.
Spray some hydrogen peroxide on the brush.
Brush as usual. Don't forget to brush your tongue!
When finished don't rinse your mouth with water, but finish by brushing with your favorite toothpaste.
Follow if you wish with a post-brushing rinse or an anti-bacterial rinse recommended by your dentist.

Health & Beauty - Nails

I had the world's worst nails - they were weak, they pealed, cuticles were a wreck. If I could walk though life without ever showing my finger tips I would be a happy girl. Have to show the rest of the hands - I love sparkly rings! Just don't look at the finger nails.

I found the secret - after more than 45 years - to perfect, beautiful and strong nails! The investment is minimal, but it does take a little time and consistency is the key.

You will need:

• A small container with a lid.
• Olive oil.
• A nail buffer and smoothing cream. I love the Chamois Buffer and Cream Smooth from Vermont Country Store. The buffer is soft and doesn't dry out as many of the mass marketed buffers do. A link is below:
  http://www.vermontcountrystore.com/browse/Home/Apothecary/Nail-Care/Chamois-Nail-Buffer-and-Nail-Cream-Set/D/30102/P/1:100:1000:10150/I/f10008?evar3=SEARCH

Once a week at a minimum soak your nails for 10 minutes each hand in the olive oil. It softens the cuticles and the properties in the olive oil seem to help strengthen the nails. Wipe off. You can store the olive oil for future use, so you're not wasting. Use the Vermont Country Store's nail cream and buffer. Your nails will be extremely shiny and strong. You won't need polish! For that matter, your nails will be so silky that polish won't adhere too well.

You don't want to buff too frequently, you'll wear down the nail bed. Once or twice a week is sufficient.

Hearth & Home - Cleaning Interior Log Walls

No naive individual should attempt a major construction project at their home. Even with an experienced contractor. We added a large room to our timber frame log home using the existing exterior log wall as one of the interior walls of the addition. I didn't think of asking them to cover the log walls to protect them from all the construction dust. The contractor didn't either, regrettably. So what do you do when you have tons of construction dust on very rough log walls?

What doesn't work:

• A blow dryer. Just pushes the dust further into the log cracks, spreads it to neighboring logs and to the rest of the room. (I admit to a degree of intelligence. I didn't try this.)
• A paper towel or sponge with water. On a rough textured wall these will last a micro-second. (Didn't try this one either, but I'm sure someone will somewhere.)
• A face cloth. All the fibers will stick to the logs. Won't be pretty.
• A broom. Other than not pushing the dust further into the log cracks, the end result is the same as option 1. (I did try this.)
• A spray bottle with vinegar and water with a brush. Messy. (This was my second attempt.)

What does work:

• Take a new high thread count polyester and cotton blend pillow case.
• Wash it thoroughly in water to eliminate any run off of dye.
• Grab a pail of lukewarm water and some extra absorbent towels.
• Soak the pillow case in the water and ring out until still slightly wet but not dripping.
• Wipe down your walls.
• You will need to change the water with some regularity and rinse out the pillow case.
• There will be some water mess to clean up with the towels but it will be slight.
• The pillow case is just absorbent enough to hold the water and any dust or debris but strong enough for the job.

Starting out with zero experience and an open mind does provide an education, however, and, therefore, tools for future projects. So, make mistakes, smile, carry on and be the better for it.

Musings of a Mad Avon Lady - Thunderstorms

I absolutely adore thunderstorms! We're experiencing one now here in far southern Illinois.

Fortunately, this is not like the violent derecho we experienced on May 8 of this year with sustained winds of about 108 mph that resulted in millions of dollars in damage. The path of destruction that reach across all of southern Illinois take months if not years to clean up.

What kind of storms cause derechos? According to NOAA: Derechos are associated with a band of showers or thunderstorms that are often "curved" in shape. These bowed out storms are called "bow echoes." A derecho can be associated with a single bow echo or multiple bow echoes. The bow echoes may vary in scale and may die out and redevelop during the course of derecho evolution. In the northern hemisphere, derecho winds are occasionally enhanced by a rotating band of storms called a "bookend vortex" which develops on the north side of the bow echo storm system. Derecho winds can also be enhanced on a smaller scale by embedded supercells within the derecho producing storm system.

Today's storm was the type that requires that I run outside without an umbrella and dance. Remember 1952's "Singing in the Rain" with Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds? Now you get the idea. Mild to moderate rain, flashes of lightening and "thunder boomers" as my dad used to say. Okay, call me Morticia Adams - you won't be the first. A sky that features continuous blueness and bright sun without a cloud is simply, well, boring.

(photograph courtesy of NOAA)

Avon News and Reviews - Skin So Soft Signature Silk

Avon's Skin So Soft Signature Silk featured on PeopleStyleWatch.com
Skin So Soft Signature Silk Creamy Body Wash and Replenishing Body Lotion are featured as "Beauty Picks" on PeopleStyleWatch.com. The article states, "Avon's body care classic is getting a makeover with a rich, new formula that uses time-released conditioners to keep skin hydrated from morning to night. The thick, creamy wash jumpstarts the day with an invigorating burst of the line's updated scent, while the lotion smoothes skin instantly."

Musings of a Mad Avon Lady - Doctor's Visits

Don't you just hate doctor's visits? I'm sorry - docs - it's nothing personal, well, generally speaking at least. I was talking with a colleague yesterday about her feelings about visits to the family doctor. She's okay with her doctor. Actually, she's extremely fond of her. My colleague has a problem with her doctor's office staff. For me, that's no issue. I simply ignore them - or at least I give it my best. Having worked in offices with no more than 10 people to a $400 billion finance firm, I've been exposed to just about every personality type. I admit to not having absolute patience and tolerance for every person with whom I have contact. I'm a Christian, but I don't profess to be perfect.

My problem is the comfort level I experience. My anxiety starts from the minute I realize a doctor's visit is a possibility. That level increases until the time those office doors close on my fanny. I simply don't understand why I can't get beyond this. They're supposed to be there to help me. I'm afraid, however, that their interests lay more in the size of their wallet and their standing with the hospitals with whom they have contracts than in my welfare. I must trust their skills to a degree, however. At least the skill of a surgeon and the operating room staff. Flop me on the table, open me up - remember the anesthetic beforehand, please. I'm okay with that. Just keep me away from routine office visits! Oh, they hold your prescription refills hostage. Forgot about that one! Major issue in my mind. I know if I'm feeling well enough to get a refill without the doctor charging me $175 to simply look at me and pronounce me sufficiently well to breathe another day.

Needless to say, I'm scheduled for one today at 11:15, and I'm trying to remain calm lest my blood pressure be so high I'm forced to visit with more frequency.

The Lord God Made Them All - Heartworm Disease

Ah, the dog days of summer. Your pet is absolutely delighted with the prospect of being able to romp around the yard sniffing out his favorite squirrel. Flowers are blooming, bees are buzzing, misquitos and ticks are biting and your dog and cat have a chance of getting heartworm disease. Hey, what happened to our picture of an idyllic summer?

I see far too many dogs down here in southern Illinois suffering from heartworm disease. Make a commitment today to start a heartworm prevention program for your pet.

What is Heartworm disease? According to the American Heartworm Association: Heartworms can only be transmitted from animal to animal by mosquitoes. When a mosquito bites an infected animal, young heartworms called microfilariae enter into that mosquito's system. Within two weeks, the microfilariae develop into infective larvae inside the mosquito; these infective larvae can be transmitted to another animal when this mosquito takes its next blood meal. The infective larvae mature into adult heartworms in approximately six months. During the first three months, the larvae migrate through the animal's body, eventually reaching the blood vessels of the lungs. During the last three months, the immature worms continue to develop and grow to adults, with females growing to lengths of up to 14 inches. The worms damage the blood vessels, and reduce the heart's pumping ability, resulting in severe lung and heart disease. When the animal shows signs of illness due to adult heartworm infection, it is called heartworm disease. If adult worms (5-7 months post-infection) of both sexes are present, they will mate and produce new microfilariae. The microfilariae can cause the animal's immune system to mount a reaction; this immune reaction can actually cause damage to other organs. This life cycle continues when a mosquito bites the infected animal and becomes infected by the microfilariae. After development of the microfilariae to infective larvae within the mosquito (10 days to 2 weeks later) the infective heartworm larvae are capable of infecting another animal. Adult heartworms can survive for 5 to 7 years in dogs and several months to years in cats.

Can it be prevented or treated? Heartworm infection is almost 100% preventable in dogs and cats. There are several FDA-approved heartworm preventives available in a variety of formulations. Your veterinarian can recommend the best method of prevention based upon your pet's risk factors and lifestyle. Of course, you have to remember to give your pet the preventive in order for it to work! The preventives do not kill adult heartworms, and will not eliminate heartworm infection or prevent signs of heartworm disease if adults are present in the pet's body.

How do I know if my pet has heartworms? A blood test for existing heartworm infection is recommended before beginning a prevention program to assess the pet's current heartworm status. Because it is more difficult to detect heartworms in cats, additional testing may be necessary to make sure the cat is not infected. Testing must then be repeated at appropriate intervals. The next test should be performed about 6 months after starting the preventive treatment, to confirm that your pet was not infected prior to beginning prevention (remember, tests only detect adult worms). Heartworm tests should be performed annually to ensure that your pet doesn't subsequently become infected with the disease and to ensure the appropriate amount of medication is being prescribed and administered. There have been reports of pets developing heartworm infection despite year-round treatment with a heartworm preventive, so having your pet tested regularly is the best way to keep them protected.