A Mom's Love-Frugal Mom

Frugal Mom

SHOO FLY, DON'T BOTHER ME!

With the advent of mosquito season, many people are feeling concern for more than just the annoying itchiness of a bite or two. Worries about West Nile Virus -- and other mosquito-carried diseases -- are leading many who would normally avoid excessive use of chemicals, to start spraying and slathering on insect repellants containing the chemical, DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide).

SAFE USE OF CHEMICAL REPELLANTS

If you feel you simply must spray yourself or your child with an insect repellant containing DEET, try to keep the repellant away from your child's face. If you apply it to the face, spray or rub the repellant onto your hands first and then apply from your fingers to the face rather than spraying or applying directly from the bottle or tube to the skin.

Insects often bite the lower extremities, so spraying or applying lotion to your legs and feet (especially if they're wearing sandles during the summer months) is particularly helpful. Avoid using DEET-containing products on your child's hands because more often than not, their hands will eventually transfer the DEET to their mouth.

Don't spray or apply DEET products over cuts, scratches, rashes, or other open spots in the skin.

NATURAL ALTERNATIVES

But are there valid, healthier options when it comes to repelling our fine buzzing and biting friends? You bet! Some ideas for natural insect repellants fall into the category of folklore, myth and urban legends, but other natural remedies can be an effective means of protecting yourself and your loved ones from biting bugs and harsh chemicals.

Natural insect repellants tend to provide coverage for a shorter time, but their coverage is safer so you may find it worth the extra effort applying a bit more often. Most natural repellants only offer about one-tenth of the protection time found in DEET-containing products, so plan on reapplying every 30 minutes or so. Because of their shorter protection time, natural repellants are ideal for short evening outdoor activities like walking the dog, barbecuing, or watering the garden.

Remember: Don't spray or apply any insect repellants (natural or chemical) over cuts, scratches, rashes, or other open spots in the skin. Also, be sure to avoid the eye area when applying repellants.

ESSENTIAL OILS AS NATURAL REPELLANTS

The most common -- and most effective -- natural insect repellants are various essential oils. Clove oil and citronella (rose geranium) are the most effective against mosquitos, but be careful with clove oil and use it sparingly -- it can be a skin irritant. Other fairly effective essential oils include: Lemon grass, eucalyptus, castor oil, peppermint, tea tree oil, lavender, and cedar. You can buy cedar oil in spray-on bottles at your local pet store.

It's important to remember when using essential oils: Don't use them internally! They need to be used externally on your skin and garments. Be sure to test any oils on a small patch of skin before applying widely to your body to avoid allergic reactions or skin irritations.

You can make your own insect repellant sprays by combining rubbing alcohol (or witch hazel, vodka, or olive oil) with one of the listed essential oils (about 10-to-1, alcohol-to-oil ratio). Shake well before each use.

To make a lotion, use: 2 ounces distilled water, 2 ounces olive oil, and about 120 drops essential oil. Put the water into a deep mixing bowl, and using a wire whip, begin beating quickly while slowly drizzling in the olive oil. After oil is mixed into the distilled water, stir in the essential oil of your choice (citronella is probably the most effective for insect repellant use).

You can also add a few drops of your choice of insect- repelling essential oils to your shampoo or liquid soap to help counteract the prefumes in these products.

Keep in mind that the following criteria reduces the effectiveness of all insect repellants: Clothing rubbing on your skin, natural evaporation, your skin's natural ability to absorb anything applied to it, sweat or rain washing off the repellant, and a windy environment.

Some folks claim that garlic is an effective insect repellant, but I think it works best for repelling friends (and maybe a vampire or two).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

--Deborah Taylor-Hough is the author of several popular books including, 'Frozen Assets: Cook for a Day and Eat for a Month' and 'Frugal Living For Dummies(r)'. Visit Debi online at: http://hometown.aol.com/dsimple/

Since we don't use the phrase "I'm bored!" in our home, we never hear our kids complaining about being bored during those long days at home during the summer months. But ... I have to admit that we're still an incredibly normal family.

Even without the "b-word" in their vocabulary, there are still those times when my three children (ages 16, 12 and 8) just seem to be at a total loss for something constructive to do.

On one of those "I-can't-think-of-anything-to-do" days, I had my children sit down and make a list of everything they could do completely on their own without parental help. After they brainstormed about it for over an hour (which was a good anti-boredom activity itself), the kids had a list of about fifty activities. Surprisingly, they even included a few household chores like dusting and weeding! I decided to ask for input from some other moms, and now my children have a list of over two hundred ideas to beat summertime boredom, and the list just seems to keep growing.

Thanks to the suggestion of one mom, we've put each item on this list onto individual pieces of paper, placed the papers into a container, and when the children need inspiration for an activity, they draw two or three papers and then decide which idea they want to do, either as a group or individually. The mom who suggested pulling ideas out of a container told me she found this method more helpful than giving the kids a huge list of possibilities. By narrowing the choices down to just two or three, it was easier for the kids to pick out the one that sounded the best to them.

200+ IDEAS FOR SUMMERTIME ACTIVITIES In no particular order, here's our current (but continually growing!) list of activities:

ride bikes
roller blade
basketball
play board games
make a tent out of blankets
squirt with hoses
run through the sprinkler
jump rope
read books
blow bubbles
make homemade play dough
play with play dough
press flowers
do crafts with pressed flowers
write a letter to a relative, friend or pen pal
clean bedroom
vacuum livingroom
clean bathroom
make a craft
draw
color
paint
pull weeds
watch a movie
write stories
use binoculars
use magnifying glass
use microscope
bird watching
write a play
act out a play
invent circus acts
perform a circus
play card games
make art on the front walkway with sidewalk chalk
play catch
play baseball
collect rocks
collect leaves
collect feathers
play Frisbee
make Frisbee's out of old plastic lids, decorate with markers
dust the house
brush the pet
write letters
read a magazine
play dress-up
play Cowboys
pick vegetables
play outside with the pet
build a fort in your rooms
build a fort in the backyard
do a jigsaw puzzle
play on the computer
listen to a story or book on tape
do extra schoolwork to get ahead
do brain teasers (ie: crosswords, word searches, hidden pictures, mazes, etc.)
cook
surprise a neighbor with a good deed
play store
prepare a "restaurant" lunch with menus
hold a tea party
have a Teddy bear picnic
play with toy cars
play dolls
play house
chase butterflies
collect caterpillars and bugs
plant a garden or a pot
collect seeds
hunt for four-leaf clovers
learn magic tricks
put on a magic show
plant a container garden
sprout seeds or beans
make sock puppets
put on a puppet show
make Christmas presents
make homemade wrapping paper
make homemade gift cards
make picture frames from twigs glued onto sturdy cardboard
crochet or knit
make doll clothes
sew buttons in designs on old shirts
run relay races
make bookmarks
take a quiet rest time
take a shower or bath
bathe a pet
feed the birds or squirrels
watch the clouds
organize a dresser drawer
clean under the bed
empty dishwasher
vacuum under the couch cushions and keep any change found
write these ideas on pieces of paper and pick out
one or two to do
whittle
whittle bars of soap
practice musical instruments
perform a family concert
teach yourself to play musical instrument (recorder, harmonica, guitar)
fold laundry
sweep kitchen or bathroom floors
sweep front walkway
sweep or spray back patio
sweep or spray driveway
wash car
vacuum car
vacuum or dust window blinds
clean bathroom mirrors
clean sliding glass doors
clean inside of car windows
wash bicycles
clean garage
play in the sandbox
build a sandcastle
work with clay
copy your favorite book illustration
design your own game
build with blocks or Legos
create a design box (copper wire, string, odds-and- ends of things destined for the garbage, pom-poms, thread, yarn, etc.)
plan a neighborhood or family Olympics
have a marble tournament
paint a picture with lemon juice on white paper and
hang it in a sunny window and see what happens in a few days
finger paint with pudding
make dessert
make dinner
give your pet a party
paint the sidewalk with water
start a journal of summer fun
start a nature diary
have a read-a-thon with a friend or sibling
have a neighborhood bike wash
play flashlight tag
play Kick the Can
check out a science book and try some experiments
make up a story
arrange photo albums
find bugs and start a collection
do some stargazing
decorate bikes or wagons and have a neighborhood parade
catch butterflies and then let them go
play hide-and-seek
create a symphony with bottles and pans and rubber
bands
listen to the birds sing
try to imitate bird calls
read a story to a younger child
find shapes in the clouds
string dry noodles or O-shaped cereals into a necklace
glue noodles into a design on paper
play hopscotch
play jacks
make up a song
make a teepee out of blankets
write in your journal
find an ant colony and spill some food and watch
what happens
play charades
make up a story by drawing pictures
draw a cartoon strip
make a map of your bedroom, house or neighborhood
call a friend
cut pictures from old magazines and write a story
make a collage using pictures cut from old magazines
do a secret service for a neighbor
plan a treasure hunt
make a treasure map
make up a "Bored List" of things to do
plan a special activity for your family
search your house for items made in other countries and then learn about those countries from the encyclopedia or online
plan an imaginary trip to the moon
plan an imaginary trip around the world, where would you want to go
write a science-fiction story
find a new pen pal
make up a play using old clothes as costumes
make up a game for practicing math facts
have a Spelling Bee
make up a game for practicing spelling
surprise an elderly neighbor or relative by weeding his/her garden
fingerpaint with shaving cream
collect sticks and mud and build a bird's nest
write newspaper articles for a pretend newspaper
put together a family newsletter
write reviews of movies or plays or tv shows or concerts you see during the summer
bake a cake
bake a batch of cookies
decorate a shoe box to hold your summer treasures
make a hideout or clubhouse
make paper airplanes
have paper airplane races
learn origami
make an obstacle course in your backyard
make friendship bracelets for your friends
make a wind chime out of things headed for the garbage
paint your face
braid hair
play tag
make a sundial
make food sculptures (from pretzels, gumdrops, string licorice, raisins, cream cheese, peanuts, peanut butter, etc.) and then eat it
make a terrarium
start a club
take a nap outside on your lawn
produce a talent show
memorize a poem
recite a memorized poem for your family

Have a wonderful summer! (And for all you people in the Southern Hemisphere, feel free to save this article for December reading!)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: --Deborah Taylor-Hough (wife and mother of three) is the author of 'Frozen Assets: How to Cook for a Day and Eat for a Month' and the newly released, 'Frugal Living For Dummies(r)' (Wiley, 2003). Visit Debi online for more articles and tips at: http://hometown.aol.com/dsimple/

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