Is Home Grown Milk Cheaper?

I would love to get a goat, but my husband gave the official 'NO" yesterday. I asked him to leave a part of the yard un-mowed so we could make hay. He wanted to know what I needed hay for since we don't have any animals. I said, "For any animals we might have, I am preparing ahead." With a smile he replied, "No goat!" That made it final. No goat for me. My consolation is CVS selling TG Lee milk (no hormones) @ $3.99/gal. With milk prices rising as fast as gas, this is still cheaper than having our own animal.



Here is the break down:



one time-A good milking goat average cost- $250

one time-A female companion for her- $ 80

one time-Cost of dwelling if none exists- $ 50-100

monthly-Cost in feed for the two- $ 30



$$$ Alfalfa, hay and mineral brick vary according to your area. There are many one time supplies to purchase for milking.$$$ More information on goats. Goats do better with a companion. The milking goat has to be bred every year to continue milk supply. During pregnancy she must be allowed to dry up, about 13 weeks.



One goat can produce 7 gallons per week. Can you use that much in a week? I can buy 2 gallons of the expensive/good milk and still be in the black.

Filtering the Mail

I recently picked up a hand out at the post office. It was all about mail fraud. I know we all get junk mail...every day, but some times the con artists say just the right thing or have just the right colors or font to look authentic. In our age of computers any thing is possible.

So how do you identify the junk and place it in 'file 13'? Visit United States Post Office reading room. It's free and there is more info than the booklet I picked up.

The info that made the best impression on me was, "by law any unsolicited material (ie magazine, stickers, books, watch...) is mine to keep, throw away or return to sender." I don't have to give the con artist any money no matter how much pressure s/he puts on. Certainly, never give out your personal information.

Some tools of a con artist are talking fast, fear of running out of time or missing some thing great, requiring money for information. If you become confused or stressed during a phone conversation, it is probably on purpose.

A genuine business person will never make you feel frazzled. So, take your time in making decisions. You can defuse the confusion by making the person on the other end of the line repeat slowly what they have said, you can ask them to repeat it many times. Remember, your time is valuable too. If they don't want to take the time to explain some thing, it can't be worth the time to listen. If it doesn't make sense, it was probably designed not to.

Infant Potty Training

In my post I listed a bunch of things my sister and I have done, tried or are doing. What makes it crazy is that you have 2 country women trying to do 'country' things in the city. IPT can be done any where. The reason IPT is crazy is because not many people in our culture do it.

Infant Potty Training (IPT). It is not what you think. It is not trying to potty train a baby like you would a toddler.

My sister calls me one day and says, "My baby just went potty on the toilet!" "What?!" I couldn't believe my ears. Her baby was using the toilet before her toddler. How could this be? She explained about a web site she visited.

Gives all the instructions and premises. I didn't start from birth as many have done. I tried to give myself flexibility. I remember being so frustrated with my toddlers when they were learning how to use the toilet. I would even get angry with them. One day I heard that a toddler doesn't even know what a toilet is for when all they have been taught is diaper. It was an "ah-ha" moment.

My sister and I agreed that we would not be sold out to this method, only use it when we wanted or when it was convenient. It is after all counter cultural. And I WAS NOT going to have this method getting me frazzled with my baby! That was a BIG NO, NO.

To my surprise, having this easy going attitude has allowed me to succeed. I still do not hold to this method as a 'end all', 'cure all'. It is just some thing different, for "fun" - see if I can do it - idea.

There are perks, but I do not hold to them as "have to happens": cleaner bottoms, fewer diapers, ease of "potty training" in toddler hood. I think of it more like "potty introduction 101."

All the Crazy Things My Sister and I do to Save Money

It comes as no surprise that our husbands would laugh at this new blogging venture. We are well known for the many crazy things we have attempted over the years in effort to save or make money.

gardening, composting, growing wheat, plant nursery, seeds, baby sitting, pyramid schemes (we never went past the part where we had to "invest" money), making things from scratch like various crafts and home made "napkins" from unused towels, clothesline, making our own yeast, chickens, IPT (Infant Potty Training)

You name, it we may have tried it or would be willing to. These things may not be crazy in and of themselves, but in how we go about doing them...in our urban houses.

I'm still trying to convince my husband that a goat would be a good thing...

How to get rid of lice in one day

LICE...we have had an invasion!!! I knew lice was going around and have been checking my daughters' long hair. I never suspected my son!

My parents opened our home to foster kids when I was a teenager. We did not have a clue about lice then. After the third recurrence we got serious. We did not realize what a monster it was. To be sure you have rid your home you must be serious about "sanitizing" your house. I have found the following protocol to be very successful in ridding your house of lice in one day.

1. Don't worry, they are going to die. Have purchased and ready:
"Lice killing shampoo"
"Lice killing spray" for your furniture (don't forget the vehicle).
conditioner
cheep hair spray

2.Pull your own hair back and hair spray it well. If you have lice this will keep them contained. Wear a button down shirt. When you are finished with your work this will prevent having to pull your shirt over your head.

3.Begin at the furthest point from your washing machine.

4.Get all clothing and bedding to the washer and start washing. It is helpful if you can put one person in charge of washing (after their hair is "sanitized" and they have "clean" clothing on). If you need to call a friend for help have them do step 2. I have helped other moms get rid of lice and did not get it myself.

5.Collect all hair accessories. I've thrown out a lot of hair ties. Brushes and combs can be put in a bleach bath. I fill the sink with water and some bleach.

6.Pillows can be put in the dryer for 30 min. The dryer bakes the little boogers.

7.ALL, how can I emphasize this, ALL stuffed and cloth dolls, animals or toys. Seal them up in a plastic bag for about a week or two. This suffocates the lice. Be sure you have them sealed in. If your child has a special toy they can not wait for, I am sure you could stick it in dryer with the pillows. Cloth hats can also be put in the dryer.

OK, now your house is clean and your laundry room is a mess. Again don't worry, you are closer to being done.

This is the time, if you are going to, for hair cuts. Cut hair before treatment.

8.Shampoo. Read all the instructions before you begin. Follow the instructions. Use a small bit of conditioner after your finished washing. This helps the combing process go smoother.

9.Have clean clothing ready for each person. I have them sit in their towel until combing is complete.

10.As you finish each person with long hair it is important that it is pulled back in some way. I prefer a french braid. Spray persons with long hair with lots of hair spray. Lice don't like places that are stiff and full of chemical. Spraying helps prevent re-infestation. I would do their hair like this until you have completed the second application of shampoo (7-10 days later).

You are almost finished.

11.Time to spray your furniture, beds, hats and vehicle. Follow instructions.

Your hair and clothing are "sanitized". Finish the laundry. Have a designated "sanitized" spot for the clean laundry.

12.Vacuum.

Your house is now "sanitized" in one day. You only have to put every thing back where it belongs as it comes out of the dryer. This may take a day or two depending on where your laundry room is.

Happy sanitizing!

Remember, "It is not a shame to have lice, only to keep it."