Lupus Awareness Month

October is the month brings awareness and attention to Lupus. It is hopes that the public will increase understanding of this mysterious disease which attacks the body from within Not a lot is known about Lupus or what may cause it. It is believed that it affects people of all ages but is more common in women than in men. I must say that both my father and my son have been diagnosed with Lupus and fall within the small percentage of men that are affected by Lupus. Lupus commonly affects individuals around the ages of 15 to 44 years old. In early years both girls and boys are at the same risk but as the years start rising the chance of developing lupus the level rises for girls. 

Lupus is a disease where the bodies immune system attacks the healthy tissue in the body and can damage any body part especially joints, heart, kidney and / or liver. Many that suffer with Lupus are not aware that they have it for many years. Symptoms such as swelling hands, fatigue, rash, dizziness, headache, stomach ache and fever are common for other illnesses as well. Test for Lupus is important that will offer a diagnosis or  rule it out. 

Lupus is not related to HIV/Aids. It has long been feared that those with Lupus must also be carrying the HIV virus. This is not true Lupus makes the immune system overactive to the point it starts attacking the healthy tissues in the body rather than a weakened system that HIV causes. Lupus also can not be transferred through sex. It is important to bring these facts into the spotlight so that others with signs and symptoms of Lupus will get tested and not be ashamed or stigmatized. 


Currently there is no cure for Lupus. Like many other medical conditions caught early it can be treated easier.

This Halloween Go Teal

Halloween should be a fun time for all children. There are children with allergies that will not be able to play along with trick or treat as many others will. The reason is because of food allergies. If you are like me and want to hand out treats to all children then join in the teal pumpkin project.

Halloween is more than just candy so why not purchase some little prizes and pass them out on trick or treat night?? If you do want to pass out candy and yet want to purchase some that are good here are a few candy ideas that will help those with nut allergies:

hershey kisses, the same old kisses milk chocolate that we grew up with. Not all may be safe so please be sure that you hand out only the original milk chocolate hershey kisses. Hershey is a great company about labeling chocolates that may have been cross-contaminated with nut or other allergies. 

Rolos candies are caramel filled chocolates and also produced by Hershey. Again they are nut allergy but check the package to ensure

Toodsie Rolls again another company that does a great job of labeling. Tootsie rolls come in a great variety of shape and sizes. They also come in non-chocolate variety and pops as well. 

Skittles and starburst is a great company that provides safe holiday them options. Join in on the candy corn fun as well with starburst fruit flavored candy corn 

Dum-Dum suckers are a treat that we keep on hand often. The safe candy to hand out to the kids as well keep for awards. The dum-dum company is very allergy friendly in its labeling and say on the packaging that dum-dums do not contain fish, shellfish, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, milk, wheat or gluten. Ensure to read the label as the company also notes that some are packaged in areas that may not be safe. 

Smarties is one of my children's favorites. They are labeled to advertise that it is free of milk, egg, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat and soy. The company's allergen statement also shares that the candy is safe to eat for kids with peanut allergies. 

So why not take the challenge of the Teal Pumpkin this year. We will:

Happy National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day

National Pumpkin Cheesecake day may just be one of the yummiest days of the year. I have shared many yummy recipes over the years of this blog. While some recipes go back to the past the first pumpkin cheese cake was in print around the 1970s and appeared as a cheese pie recipe rather than cake. 

National Pumpkin Cheesecake day celebrates a delicious fall dessert. Pumpkins in October are normally in full season. Great time to put two favorites of pumpkins and cheesecake together to make one delicious treat. They are both yummy , nutritious and healthy. 

Visit a cheesecake store or bakery and purchase a piece of pumpkin cheesecake or you could make up your own homemade pumpkin cheesecake. It's a great opportunity to spend time in kitchen and bring someone in there so that you bond over National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day.

1 cup crushed gingersnap cookies (about 20 cookies)
 1/3 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup butter, melted
4 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened, divided
1-1/2 cups sugar, divided
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1-1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

GARNISH:
Chocolate syrup, caramel ice cream topping, whipped topping and additional crushed gingersnap cookies, optional

 Preheat oven to 350°. Place a greased 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Securely wrap foil around pan.
In a small bowl, combine cookie crumbs, pecans and butter. Press onto the bottom of prepared pan. Place on a baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack.
For filling, in a large bowl, beat 1 package of cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar and cornstarch until smooth, about 2 minutes. Beat in remaining cream cheese, one package at a time until smooth. Add remaining sugar and vanilla. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined.
Place 2 cups filling in a small bowl; stir in pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Remove 3/4 cup pumpkin filling; set aside. Pour remaining pumpkin filling over crust; top with remaining plain filling. Cut through with a knife to swirl. Drop reserved pumpkin filling by spoonfuls over cheesecake; cut through with a knife to swirl.Place springform pan in a large baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan. Bake 55-65 minutes or until center is just set and top appears dull. Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight.
Garnish with chocolate syrup, caramel sauce, whipped topping and additional crushed gingersnaps, if desired. Yield: 12 servings.

recipe source 

taste of home

Spooky Apples

• 
  
• 
  
• 6 small apples, scrubbed, stems removed
• 2 12-oz. bags white candy melts

• 
  
• 
  
• 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Line a baking sheet with parchment. Grease with cooking spray.
Insert a wooden skewer or heavy-duty cake-pop stick through top of each apple. In a
medium microwave-safe bowl, melt candy melts on high until smooth, stirring halfway
through, about 3 minutes total.
Dip apples in melted candy by tilting bowl and turning apples to coat, spooning additional
melted candy over apples, if necessary. Place dipped apples on prepared baking sheet.
Place sheet in refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes.
Melt chocolate chips in a small microwave-safe bowl on high until smooth, stirring at 20-
second intervals, about 1 minute. Spoon chocolate into one corner of a ziplock bag;
using scissors, cut a small hole in corner. Pipe eyes and mouth on each apple. Chill apples
at least 10 minutes or until ready to serve

recipe source here

Family Together at the Dinner Table

Dinnertime is often the busiest time in a family’s day. With school activities, soccer practices and doctor appointments, combined with technology distractions like email, texting and TV, getting the family together for quality mealtime may seem nearly impossible. However, the benefits to children and parents alike are worth the extra effort. There are numerous studies that prove how spending quality time together as a family, eating dinner and communicating with one another contributes to healthy child and adolescent development, and helps form better nutritional habits.

With all of life’s distractions, it’s important to use mealtime as a fun and interactive way for family members to spend time together. Whether it’s playing a game or simply asking how someone’s day went, the following ideas are sure to entice even the busiest parent or child to make time for family mealtime.

Chef for the Night

Get your child involved in cooking by having them plan a menu, shop for ingredients or cook and serve the meal. Cooking with children encourages creativity, responsibility and time management. Other advantages include teaching your child where food comes from and having them apply math and reading skills while following a recipe.
Have you taken the challenge to eat together as a family this month?? How is it going?? I wanted to share with you a few more great ideas for having conversation at the table

A couple of fun games would be question games:
"20 questions"
one person at the table thinks of an object, animal or person and have family members guess it by asking up to 20 yes or no questions.

"Two Truths and a Lie"
family members go around the table and say two "truths" of their day and one "lie" and have family members guess which was the "lie" Family members must share information about their day with details about what happened at school or work.

Another way to get conversation going is to fill a bowl with 20 to 30 slips of paper with questions. Each member draws a slip and during mealtime each family member will have the chance to share the answer to their question.

Celebrate the small stuff and daily achievements.
a dinner could be dedicated to a child who got a good grade on her test. Perhaps a game was won, a tooth was lost or you worked as a team to clean the house. This also helps to build self esteem.

Remember to turn the T.V , radio, and all cell phones off during the meal. The goal is to have quality interaction between parents and children

Hamburger Chowder

3/4 cup diced onion 
3/4 cup minced green bell pepper 
6 tbsp. fat 
1 1/2 lb. ground beef 
4 1/2 cups sliced potatoes 
3 cups canned tomatoes
 4 1/2 tsp. salt 
5 tsp. flour 
3/4 tsp. chili powder 
1/2 cup cold water

 

Sauté onion and pepper in fat. Add meat and cook 10 minutes. Cook sliced potatoes in 3 cups water until tender. Add sautéed onion, pepper and meat with canned tomatoes and salt. Bring slowly to a boil. Stir in flour with cold water. Add chili powder and pour into beef mixture. Stir until thickened. Simmer 10 minutes.

 

recipe source : here

Supper?? That's Easy...... Tator Tot Casserole

Tator Tot Casserole

1 1/2 lb hamburger, browned
1/2 bag tator tots
 2 can creamed corn
 2 c shredded cheese

Layer hamburger, creamed corn, cheese, and tator tots. Season to flavor and bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees

Battle of the Pies

I love chess pie and vinegar pie is a very similar recipe and that is great as well. When I heard of transparent pie I thought it was yet another name for chess pie. There seems to be one big difference. Chess pie is made with cornmeal and transparent pie uses flour Many consider the transparent pie a short bit away from a nut less pecan pie Both pies are egg based sweet custard pies. 

Vinegar Pieadapted from the Martha Stewart

• 1/4 cup plus 1.5 tsp granulated white sugar
• 2 1/4 Tbsp liquid egg product or beaten eggs (just over half an egg)
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/8 tsp vanilla (if you have a “pinch” measuring spoon, it’s actually 3 pinches)
• 1 1/2 Tbsp melted butter
• 1 unbaked 5″ pie crust

Transparent Pie
adapted from Boonie Foodie

• 1/4 cup plus 1.5 tsp granulated white sugar
• 2 1/4 Tbsp liquid egg product or beaten eggs (just over half an egg)
• 1/8 tsp vanilla (if you have a “pinch” measuring spoon, it’s actually 3 pinches)
• 1 1/2 Tbsp melted butter
• 1 tsp flour
• 2 1/2 Tbsp cream
• 1 unbaked 5″ pie crust

Directions for both pies
Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine dry ingredients and wet ingredients in separate bowls, then add wet to dry. Pour into pie crust. Although most recipes will tell you to lower the temperature at about 20% of the total baking time, I left my oven on 350 and baked them for about 25 minutes. (The vinegar pie did take slightly longer.) Check your pies often—I considered them done once the top crust was fully set, and might crack but wouldn’t collapse if I tapped it.

We loved them both but the transparent pie won the battle at our house

What is your favorite pie,?? Have a recipe to share?? 

Halloween Cupcakes

We made Halloween cupcakes. Following the directions on the cake box and then icing them either with food colored died green and then we placed a pumpkin on top of each of these. Tasty, delicious and so easy and fun to do with the kids

Not Very Scare Halloween Movie List

Kids love to get into the Halloween fun. Some great movies that are not so scary and may be perfect for your little one are:Its The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown (goes back to my own childhood)

I can remember sitting at home with my parents, brother and sisters and watching this movie. It was a short flick that was fun. I loved it where Charlie Brown got the rock.

The Worst Witch

Not only a movie but a series of books as well. Jill Murphy makes these books fun to read. 

Hocus Pocus 

a family favorite here. A movie that the whole family can watch as the sisters try to take their reign again. But it will be another group that will bring them down

Munstor Go Home

While they were re-runs that I watched I fell in love with the Munstor family and you may as well. Check out this great movie for a bit of fun

Halloween Town 

Another family favorite. One that is fun and a bit of a mystery as well. Exactly what is going on in this troubled town and how can it be saved. 

The Nightmare Before Christmas

This is my baby bro's favorite halloween movie. You may love it as well and watching Jack as he lives the Nightmare before Christmas

The Haunted Mansion 

A family favorite that I took our bunch to see at the theater and have rented several times after that. I believe we now own this movie. It offers a bit of scare, a bit of a mystery and a great movie featuring family team work. 

What is your favorite Halloween movie?? Have you watched any of these before?? What did you think

shared at 
funtastic friday

Crockpot Recipe Goulash

Crockpot Goulash

1 medium onion, diced

2 large potatoes, cut in bite size chunks
1 lb. of ground beef thawed (or other meat)
1 can of corn with juice (or other veggie)
1 can of peas with juice (or other veggie)
1 can of condensed tomato soup
Salt and pepper to taste


Cut raw potatoes and place in crock-pot. Next, add meat. Then add onion. Next, add both cans of vegetables with juice. Can of tomato soup on top cover, heat on high for an hour. Stir mixture well. Let simmer for at least 2 more hours, stirring occasionally. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve by itself, over rice or noodles. Kids love it!

Growing Mums

Chrysanthemums are a growers delight. They are grown as cut flowers, potted houseplants, as well as outdoor fall crop. Both private and commercial growers love mums. As summer draws to an end many of the beautiful flowers we have enjoyed are looking worse for wear and sadly have to be removed. Fall choices of flowers include mums, pansies, ornamental kales , cabbages and peppers. 

A hardy mums have not been grown indoor these are often florist mums. They have not been conditioned to grow outdoors and are weaker than hardy mums. These are often sold as gifts or indoor pot plants and will survive summer months but not winter. Hardy mums are grown outdoors and are referred to as garden mums. They have been created for resilience and often have large profuse blooms. 

Planting mums in the spring will allow them to establish a root system. This root system will help them survive winter. Florist mums do not produce underground root system but hardy garden mums will. A sunny location with a rich, well drained soil is perfect for your mum. Shady conditions or wet soil could be fatal. A spot sheltered from the elements is perfect. 

Mums should be pinched back one or more times before mid July. This will keep the mums compact and produce an abundance of blooms. Pinching after the date thought may allow a bud to develop. Mums should stay watered and never be allowed to dry out. Do not mow mums down in the fall rather allow the dead plant to provide extra protection for the winter months. 

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How To Preserve Your Jack O Lantern

So you are ready to choose that pumpkin. The one that will sit on your porch. The one that will greet all your guest on Halloween night. To make sure that your pumpkin stays looking good from the day you purchase til that great day make sure to follow some easy steps. 

• Start by selecting a healthy pumpkin Look for visible signs of aging, damage or disease. The best place to purchase is at your local pumpkin patch
• When carving your jack o'lantern use clean sharp tools and wash your hands prior to cutting the pumpkin to avoid transmitting bacteria
• Pulp accelerates the decomposition process. To avoid this remove as much pulp as possible from the pumpkin shell
• Soak your pumpkin before carving in a solution of water / bleach. This will slow the growth of bacteria and rot. An alternative would be a mixture of lemon juice / water. Spray this mixture on the pumpkin daily. Sprays can also be purchased at the store to do this same action
• Petroleum jelly or vegetable oil applied to areas with no pumpkin skin will help to seal your pumpkin and protect it 
• Jack O'lanterns do better outside than inside the reason is that pumpkins do better in cooler places. If you choose to keep your pumpkins indoors allow them to cool outside at night. Misting the pumpkin with water or soaking in water will ensure your pumpkin is hydrated

Jack O Lantern History and Sweet Cake

Jack o lanterns have been a part of Halloween for centuries. Originating from the Irish myth about the man nicknamed "Stingy Jack" Stingy Jack invited the Devil one day to have a drink with him. True to his name, Stingy Jack just as they say was cheap and did not want to pay for his drink. Jack convinced the devil to turn himself into a coin that Jack could use to buy their drinks. The devil did but once again Jack double crossed the devil and kept the money. He kept the money next to a silver cross. When he did this the devil could not turn back into his original form. Eventually Jack did free the devil but made a bargain that the devil could not bother Jack for one year and if Jack died he would not claim his soul. A year passed and again Jack tricked the Devil into climbing into a tree to pick a piece of fruit. The devil climbed the tree and Jack carved a sign of a cross into the tree's bark trapping the devil. The Devil promised not to bother Jack for 10 years. 

The legend says that Jack died one day and God would not allow him into heaven being the unsavory character he was. The devil was upset by the tricks of Jack as well and kept his word not to claim his soul. Jack was sent off into the dark night with a burning coal to light his way and nothing else. Jack placed the coal into a carved out turnip and has been roaming the Earth with it ever since. 

This Irish legend traveled many years eventually referring to Jack as "Jack of the Lantern" and "Jack O'Lantern" The people of Ireland and Scotland began to make their own version of Jack's lanterns by carving scary faces into turnips or potatoes. These were placed in the window so that to frighten Stingy Jack away as well as other evil spirits. English would use large beets. Immigrants would bring the Jack o'lantern tradition with them to the new world. Pumpkins were chosen as they were thought to make the perfect Jack O'lantern

resource here 

• one of our favorite recipes is this jack o lantern cake. So super cute 
• 
  
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 eggs

Decoration:

• 1 can (16 ounces) vanilla frosting
• Orange gel food coloring (such as Wilton)
• 2 bags (7 ounces each) orange M&M's candies (about 2 cups)
• 34 yellow or brown M&M's
• 1 chocolate-covered candy bar (such as Snickers)

Make It

Cake:

1.Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat two 1.5-liter Pyrex bowls with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

2.Whisk together the flour, baking powder and soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix the pumpkin, milk and vanilla in a small bowl to blend.

3.Beat the butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour mixture, alternating with the pumpkin mixture, ending with the flour mixture. Beat just until smooth.

4.Divide the batter evenly between the prepared bowls. Bake at 350 degrees in the center of the oven for 55 to 65 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick inserted in center of cakes comes out clean. Transfer bowls to a wire rack and cool 15 minutes. Invert cakes onto racks and remove bowls; cool completely (about an hour).

Decoration:

5.Trim the top of the cakes with a serrated knife to make level. Tint the frosting orange with the food coloring. Place one cake layer, cut-side up, on a serving platter. Spread the cut side with 1/2 cup of the frosting. Place the other cake layer on top, cut-side down. Trim any excess to make round.

6.Spread a thin layer of frosting on half the cake, from top to bottom. Start with the nose: In the center of the frosted area, place 3 yellow or brown M&Ms (see photo) -- 2 on the bottom and 1 on the top -- to make a triangle nose. Place 2 orange candies above the nose, then begin the eyes: Attach 3 yellow candies along the same line as the orange candies above nose, to the left. Then place 2 yellow candies above that row, and end with a single yellow candy. Repeat on the other side of the nose. Below the nose, make an upside-down triangle using 6 orange candies. Make a yellow candy mouth, beginning with 7 candies arranged in a V around the orange triangle. Then use 12 additional yellow candies to finish the mouth. Fill in with more orange candies close together on the frosted area. When that area is covered, spread another area with the frosting and add more candies. Repeat until the entire cake is covered with orange candies.

7.Cut the candy bar in half crosswise on the diagonal to fashion a stem. Make a small hole in the top of the cake and press the candy bar half, cut-side down, into the top of the cake, for the stem. Refrigerate to firm frosting.

recipe source Parents online

Pumpkin bumper crop and Pumpkin Pudding recipe

The pumpkin business is one that has been valued over $100 million. Over a billion pounds of pumpkin is produced each year. Illinois one of the top 4 pumpkin producing states alone has produced over a million pounds of pumpkins. The other top producing states include Ohio, Pennsylvania and California. Pumpkins are grown primarily for processing. There are those that are grown for ornamental sales. Farmer markets, retail stores and you pick farms are the top places to find pumpkins for decorating. Illinois will produce about 90-95% of those processed in the United States. 

Pumpkins are members of the vine crop family cucurbits Pumpkins seeds, flowers, and flesh can all be eaten and are a great source of potassium and vitamin A.  Pumpkin seeds make a great snack roasted. Pumpkins are great to feed animals. Pumpkin flowers are edible as well. You can use pumpkins in soup, pies and breads. The largest pumpkin pie ever made was over 5 feet round and weighed over 350 pounds. In the pie was 80 lbs of cooked pumpkin, 36 pounds of sugar, 12 dozen eggs. 

Pumpkins originated in Central America. The early colonist used pumpkins as an ingredient for the crust of pies not the filling. Pumpkins were once thought to be able to help remove freckles and cure snake bites. 

Pumpkins come in a variety of sizes. The smallest weighing less than a pound to the largest over 1,000 The largest pumpkin ever grown was 1,140 pounds Pumpkins are 90% water. The name pumpkin originated from "pepon" the greek word for "large melon" American pumpkins are traditionally the Connecticut field variety. Over 75% of the pumpkin supply in the U.S. is available in October. 

Colonial times would find the Native Americans roasting long strips of pumpkin in an open fire. Colonists would slice off the pumpkin tops, remove seeds and fill the inside with milk, spices and honey. The pumpkin shell would then be baked in hot ashes. This would be the beginning of the pumpkin pie. Pumpkin would also be used to make mats by flattening strips of pumpkin and drying them together. Pumpkin seeds would also be used for food and medicine.

Pumpkin Pudding

Makes six servings.

• 4 eggs
• 1 one-pound can of pumpkin
• 1/2 cup light molasses
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1 cup milk

1. Break the eggs into a large bowl, and beat with a fork until light yellow.
2. Add the pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, molasses, and milk. Stir well.
3. Pour mixture into a greased casserole dish. Bake at 350º for 1 hour or until the pudding is firm in the middle.
4. Refrigerate any leftovers.

recipe and resource site here

Candied Apple History and Easy Caramel Apple Recipe

Candy Apples were first introduced by Arabians. As part of the Arabian cuisine it fit right in. The fruit was simply candied to preserve it. The candied apples of yesterday have now become a great practice in the United States and other places. Apples are covered in everything from red candy and caramel to chocolate, peanuts, popcorn and more chocolate. 

In the United States and Canada we call them candy apples. Here candy apples and caramel apples are terms used interchangeably. The America's first candy apple was first made in Newark in 1908. William Kolb was a candy maker who made up bright red candy apples for Christmas. These were for display purposes only but customers wanted to buy them so he started making and selling candy apples and every time he would sell out. 

Candy apples traditionally have a hard sugar coating with a cinnamon flavor. Brazil eat candy apples called maca-do-amor to celebrate John the Apostle. The french call these sweet apples pommes d'amour which means "apples of love" 

Vendors in china sell candy apples on bicycle. England celebrated Guy Fawkes Day on November 5 and share caramel apples. Candy apple red color has been donated to everything from kool-aid to nail polish. The color has been used to finish off Fender Stratocaster guitar and cars are also finished with candy red color. 

1. 14-ounce package of caramels
2. 2tablespoons water
3. 6apples

1. In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, stir the caramels with 2 tablespoons of water until melted. Slide a stick into an apple, dip the apple into the caramel, then place on wax or parchment paper.

recipe source : Real Simple

sad memory dont smoke in bed

I will never forget walking past a house on my way home. Yes, I did walk by several houses on the way but this one was different. There was always a kind old man sitting on the porch that would wave to us on the way home. One day on the way home, it was not the same. The night before the house had burned down and the old man had passed away in the fire. The man while nice had a bad habit and that was smoking in bed. That night as he lots of night he laid in bed watching t.v. and falling asleep. He went to sleep and the cigarette fell onto the covers and started a fire. A fire that would destroy a home and take his life. I will never forget this and share this story often.

Never smoke in bed. This is a point that I hold on to strongly. One could easily get tired as that is the normal place to take a nap or sleep. While under the influence of medication or alcohol smoke in one area where the ash trays are so that you do not nod off and leave the smoke burning. Large deep ashtrays should be used to catch smoking debris. The contents in these ashtrays should cool before you dispose of them.

Another thing that absolutely drives me buggy is when individuals smoke while using oxygen. Oh my goodness to me there is no deeper worry than to watch someone do this. The Oxygen or medical oxygen source even if turned off has a chance of igniting.

Please consider your life and those around you when you smoke. Recall the warnings I have offered and if you smoke do it in a safe place.
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Fire Safety Month

October is fire prevention month. It is best to take care to prevent all fires. On average seven people die every day in the US as a result of a house fire. What if a fire would occur are you ready?? The best way to be ready is to have properly working smoke alarms. Home smoke detectors have resulted in significant decrease in the number of house fire related deaths and injuries. Smoke detectors are inexpensive way to protect you and your loved ones. Remember that smoke detectors must be in the house and working properly for them to work.

Smoke alarms should be on every level of your home. Each bedroom should have a fire alarm as well. Each and every month test and dust the fire alarms. Change the batteries at least once a year, replace the entire smoke alarm unit every 8 to 10 years. The best smoke alarms are the ones that can sound fast allowing those inside more time to get out.

Test the fire alarm by pushing the testing button and having someone else stand the farthest away but in the house. If they can hear it then it works See if the smoke detector works by spraying an aerosol created to test smoke detectors can in front of the alarm. If it sounds it works if it does not then it needs replaced.You can also test by using matches.

Don't be Tricked Face Paint Can Be Dangerous

Will you be purchasing Halloween face paint for yours or child's costume??

 Don't be tricked be careful what you purchase just because the package says "non-toxic" does not mean that they will not contain ingredients that are bad for you and the environment. Chemicals such as parabens, BHA, formaldehyde, kohl and others. The skin is a delicate tissue and chemicals such as these can be carcinogens. One way to ensure that the face paint you use is safe is to make your own. 

To make you will need: 

1/2 Tsp. Organic diaper rash ointment or Organic Cold Cream

 1 Tsp. Organic Corn Starch

1/2 Tsp. Water

 1-2 drops of Organic Food Colorant

Mix all the ingredients together and apply to face with fingers or a washable sponge applicator and scare your friends.

What are you going to be for Halloween?
Are you going to use Halloween face paint?

resource here

Clowning Around

With all the dangerous and scary conversations about clowns and the on goings of them all I can think about if they had the Joy down in their heart like these 2 clowns did then there would be only happy times