Getting Rid of Ants NATURALLY

A few days ago, I opened our kitchen cabinet to find a swarm of ants.  I was so upset because last year it took me forever to get rid of them!  I decided to try some natural methods and the first one I tried worked like a charm!

According to most articles on the internet, Borox is what most store-bought ant killers use as their primary ingredient.  So I read a few different "recipes" on line and here is what I did:

-1 cup of warm water 

-3/4 cup of sugar

-2 tablespoons of Borax

Mix together.  Soak Cotton balls in the mixture and place them in the path of the ants.

 

 

 It's sweet enough to attract the ants but the Borox is the poison that they can't taste.

Everything I read said they will be gone within 24 hours...and they were RIGHT!  I did this around lunchtime on day 1 and when I woke up in the morning on day 2 there was not a single sign of an ant!

I tend to be skeptical about things like this, so I waited a few days to see if they'd return.  Nope...I have seen another ant (and trust me, I've searched the cabinet for them)!

This works for me!

Moving Day!

Don't worry!  Our family didn't move..just the chickens did!

We've moved them from their brooder...

To their new outdoor home with a fresh salad bar provided daily!

 Moving Day was a success!  All 103 chickens got moved and they are happy to have more room and fresh forage!

Now...

This is MY chick.  I named her Ginger (Samuel added Snap, so Ginger Snap it is)

We noticed at 2 weeks she had Splayed Legs.  I took on this challenge and was determined to fix her.  For the first week I wrapped her legs in gauze and taped her legs in.

The next week we had noticed a significant difference, so I used a rubber band to keep her legs in but allow her to walk.  

On "Moving Day" we removed the rubber bands and she was completely healed!  She was walking, able to reach the waterer and feed!

I  marked her head to keep an eye on her.  She's my first patient and a success story!

Easter and Chicks...

Easter this year was filled with precious talks of our Savior and sweet fellowship with family!

The Girls..

The Boys...

The Cousins...

(Most of them!)

The Sisters...

And just a few days after Easter, we got our long awaited package in the mail...

The Chicks!!!

104 Baby Chicks...

Our family has been praying, planning and dreaming about this day for almost 2 years!

 

More Homemade Sauce and Dip Recipes!

After posting my Homemade Ranch Dressing, I decided to post my two other favorite "sauce" recipes!  Most store-bought syrups are loaded with high fructose corn syrup, so these recipes are a much smarter choice! (and they are pretty easy too!)

Berry Sauce
3/4 Cup Frozen Berries
2 Tablespoons Pure Maple Syrup
1/4 Cup Water

Combine all ingredients in small saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring to a light simmer.

Cook until the berries are soft 
(I cook them for about 10-15 minutes).

 Remove from heat and blend 
(I use a mini food processor).

Store in fridge.
Yummy on yogurt or oatmeal!



Chocolate Syrup
1/2 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 Cup Water
2 Cups Organic Sugar
1/8 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Vanilla

Combine all ingedients in medium saucepan and whisk until smooth.
Cook over medium heat stirring frequently till sugar is well blended in and dissolved.
Turn heat up to medium-high and bring to a boil.  Boil for about 3 minutes until mixutre is smooth BUT watch it and stir fequently because it tends to boil over easily!
Remove from heat and cool before putting it in storage jar.

This mixture lasts 3 months and is great in milk, as a topping or as a dip!

This post is linked to Works For Me Wednesday!

 

My Best (and quick) "House Showing" Tips for Selling A House!

Recently someone asked me about moving tips...

Since my husband and I have been married, we've moved quite a bit!  We've moved 6 times in the past 10 years (and have only lived in 2 different cities)!  I know that's not much compared to others, but it was enough for me!  Especially when you consider that I've always had a newborn every time we've moved.  

This last move, I had 4 little kids and a 2 week old baby.  Showing the house was always a stressful even to say the least!

I managed to come up with some good strategies for getting the house ready in a jiffy!  Now, there were times I had a day (or a few days) notice and I could clean and confine the kids to one room for playing to keep the rest of the house nice and tidy.  But when a realtor calls and asks if they can show your house in 15 minutes, you've gotta work FAST.  Especially when you know 10 of those minutes will be spent getting loaded in the car!

So here are my quick tips for getting your house ready to show with a house full of littles:

-Laundry baskets are you best friend.  Look at thrift stores for laundry baskets of all sizes.  Keep these easily accessible and when you get "the call", throw everything that is on the floors into the baskets and load them up in your vehicle.  The kids think this is great fun and you can even have practice drills so they learn how to "play the game" quickly!  You can always throw stuff in the washer and dryer too if they aren't already full...people don't usually look there! :)

-Bleach works wonders.  At the time of our last move, I had three little boys so cleaning the bathroom had to happen DAILY although I couldn't always make it happen.  So when I would get a "can we show your house right this second?" call, I would run for the bleach.  If I could do nothing else, I would pour a little bleach in the toilet and in the shower.  Because if a bathroom smells sterile, the eye tends to not look so critically.  

-Let the sunshine in!  Humans love natural light.  So be sure to open every curtain and blind you can!  Then go the extra step and turn on every light and lamp in the house!  Maybe even light a candle.  I know some people say not to do this because certain people don't like certain smells, but I'd go for something delicate ("fresh linen" for example).  The point is, a bright place always seems like a cheery place! 

-Give it to the Lord.  Each time before I stepped out of the house I would just say something to the Father like "It's yours, you are here.  Speak and move.  And have your way."  And as I drive off I continue to pray for the right people to fall in love with not only the home, but the Spirit in the home too!

What are some of your favorite tips for moving or showing a house when you have a lot of littles? 

Linked to Works For Me Wednesday!