Buying organic produce is great but do you know that there are some vegetables and fruits that are least likely to contain trace levels of pesticides? Save your $ and skip buying organic for these products:
- pineapples
- bananas
- mangoes
- avocadoes
- kiwi fruits
- eggplant
- asparagus
- onions
- broccoli
- cabbage
*To see the list of produce that you should buy organic, see my post here.

What have you been doing to earn extra income? Thanks to my good friends' advice, I am earning a little bit on the side. But that does not mean I'm sitting pretty, I still am looking for other ways make some cash. Some people suggested selling on EBay, I'm a little intimidated by this. They said that it is easy to set up and start your EBay business. I'll have to look more into it since I have things that we have not used in a while. For those who are artistic and make jewelries , artworks or those who have handmade products to sell, they sell it through Etsy.com. If you want to expand your business and start accepting credit cards, you can look into companies that offer Total Merchant Services. They will help you process credit cards which is the payment of choice for most people. If you want to read more into the details of setting up a home-based business, you can find more information at your local small business bureau.

We all know this for a fact, calcium helps build stronger bones. Do you also know that other nutrients also contribute for better bone health?
- Eating a lot of citrus fruits and berries which are full of vitamin C, an antioxidant that may fight oxidative stress in bones. Vitamin C is also part of the bone's structural material.
- Vitamin K, which is found in dark green vegetables such as spinach and kale, is linked to a reduced risk for osteoporosis. Be careful when consuming fresh greens, wash the leaves thoroughly in running water from a Delta fauctes perhaps?
- Protein, found in chicken, meat and fish likely preserves bone mass.

What is the right way to clean your jewelry? There are commercial solutions you can purchase in which to soak your jewelry but if you are like me (I save $ whenever I can) using a mild dishwashing liquid like Joy will suffice. You can clean your gold jewelry by soaking it in warm water and dishwashing liquid. Be careful though, since not all jewelry can be cleaned the same way. Pearls, for instance, should not be soaked since the liquid can cause the string to stretch. The best way to clean your pearls is to use a soft cloth dampened with a solution of warm water and a drop of dishwashing liquid. Rub each pearl with the soft cloth and let air dry. For diamonds and platinum, soak in 1 part warm water with 1/4 part ammonia. Use a soft toothbrush to clean the nooks and crannies of your jewelry. Rinse with warm water and air dry.

With all the electronic gadgets these days, kids are spending less time doing physical activities especially during the winter months. That is one of the reasons why we bought the Nintendo Wii in 2007 for the kids' Christmas present. We like the fact that they engage in some form of physical activity when playing Wii sports or some other game. Then last year, we got the Wii Fit and the Outdoor Adventure game for the Wii. I highly recommend these two games. Both my kids like playing these games and you can see in the photo that they are up and about. Running, jumping and doing all sorts of motions with their arms. If someone asked me which gaming system I prefer among the xbox 360 , Nintendo Wii or PS3, then my vote goes to the Wii hands down. Just my opinion.

If you prefer to buy organic produce, it is good to know the vegetables and fruits that are most likely to contain some levels of pesticides. They are:
-apples
-cherries
-strawberries
-nectarines
-peaches
-potatoes
-lettuce
-celery
-bell peppers
-spinach
-carrots
Of course, it will save you $ if you can grow some of these produce yourself. I tried to grow lettuce and carrots one summer; the carrots flopped while the lettuce leaves had a lot of holes from being eaten by some insect. I'll have to try again this summer. There is a farmer stand down the road from where I live and they have a nice selection of produce but sometimes they don't have the ones that I need. So I end up getting my vegetables from the grocery. When I have the time, I opt to use the handheld barcode scanners where you scan every purchase and put it in the bag and at the end you print out the total and pay. This is fun for the kids but I find it more time consuming.

...for your health. Cranberries have been crowned as a ‘superfruit’. They are a great source of antioxidants which are essential to fight the signs of aging and contain vitamin C which is good for both hair and skin. It is also recommended to drink cranberry juice if you have a urinary tract infection. The small red fruit is usually found in a juice or dried form but can also be bought fresh. My favorite cranberry product is called Craisins. It is dried cranberries that is a little sweet; it's good with salads or eaten by itself. Some people don't care for cranberries because it's tart, that's a little sacrifice compared to the health benefits you get.

Easy, look anywhere, up or down, except at eye level. There are companies that pay a slotting fee to the grocers so their products will be placed where shoppers can easily see them. So usually, expensive brand names are placed on the middle shelves, special displays and end caps (at the end of the aisle). The cheaper store brands and private-label items are usually placed above or below.

Yogurt is one of those food that either you love it or you hate it. I happen to love it. It's a fast, easy and healthy breakfast especially if you're on the go. I like the single-serve Dannon yogurts, the non-fat with the fruit. I stock up on it everytime there is a sale at Stop and Shop. Yogurt is a good source of calcium and for those with mild lactose intolerance can be an alternative source to milk. Yogurt is full of ‘good bacteria’ called lactobacillus which improves gastrointestinal functions and can lessen the symptoms of diarrhea and indigestion. Yogurt can also boost the immune system and should be eaten after a period of illness to get you back on form.

I was looking for a video on how to make yogurt at YouTube when I came across this Howie Mandel video. I think the guy he was talking to was his son and they were talking about the Sale at website Buy.com. Anyway, just thought I'd mention it. :o)

What does the term 'organic' mean? In layman's terms, it means that the produce was grown without the use of any synthetic fertilizers or chemical pesticides. The gardener relies on using compost or manure for fertilizing and organic pesticides to kill insects. What exactly is it's benefit? Well, for one, you have the peace of mind that you're giving your family food that is safe to eat, one that is free from chemicals. I have a small vegetable garden in our lot and I plant a lot of tomatoes. I love tomatoes but I found out that some insects love it too. I don't like to use chemical pesticides since I prefer to eat fresh tomatoes. I just sprinkle it with a little salt. It's good, you should try it. So if you're looking for organic pesticides like me, look no further. I found this organic pesticide that sounds promising. This organic bug patrol kills over 40 insects so that basically covers almost all of the insects in a regular garden. One other important reason why I prefer to use organic pest control is the fact that my kids like to help out in the garden. I prefer not to expose them to these chemicals which may be harmful to their health in the long run. Don't you think this is a very good reason to start an organic garden? I sure do.

When buying products, do you check for the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval? I do, sometimes although it's a nice surprise to find out after shopping that the product has this seal. So what does it mean? From the Good Housekeeping website:
"This is Good Housekeeping's LIMITED WARRANTY: If any product that bears our Seal or is advertised in this issue* (with certain exceptions described below) proves to be defective within two years from the date it was first sold to a consumer by an authorized retailer, we, Good Housekeeping, will replace the product or refund the purchase price. This policy covers you, the consumer, whether you bought the product or it was given to you (by the buyer)."

You can check all the products that has this GHK seal at this page:

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/product-testing/seal-holders/

The products range from shampoos, washer and dryers, personal care and feminine products, irons, steamers,receipt printer, cell phones and even batteries. Check their site for more information.

There has been a lot of hoopla this past year about the Wii Fit. The question remains, does it work? Well, it's just like any other exercise craze, you get what you put in. If you have been living an active lifestyle, i.e. running, aerobics, then you'll probably give the Wii Fit a low grade. If you have been sedentary most of your life and started getting active with the help of the Wii Fit, then you'd hail this as the miracle weight loss pill. Personally, I like it since it makes exercise fun especially for the kids although we discovered another game that is more fun. It's the Outdoor Challenge Wii game. Just as the name implies, it consists of physical activities that are set outdoors. There is kayaking, a lot of running, jumping and more. My kids love this game more than the Wii Fit. I have to admit, after doing the Wii Fit for a couple of months, it gets monotonous.

Many of the symptoms of type 1 and type 2 diabetes are similar. Listed here are the common symptoms. Of course, it is important to see you doctor to have yourself checked. If any of your family has some form of diabetes, you have a higher chance of getting it if you don't take care of yourself. Exercise and proper diet lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes.
So what are the symptoms of diabetes?
- Frequent trips to the bathroom
-Unquenchable Thirst
-Losing Weight Without Trying
-Weakness and Fatigue
- Tingling or Numbness in Your Hands, Legs or Feet

These other symptoms may or may not be present:
- Blurred vision
- Skin that is dry or itchy
- Frequent infections or cuts and bruises that take a long time to heal

Living with this disease is tough on someone and their family. Once a person gets diabetes, they need to be extra careful with their health. It also makes it harder to be approved for life insurance. There are insurance companies that offer Diabetic Life Insurance. If you have managed to control your diabetes real well, you can still get life insurance. You can find all these information and more at DIABETICLIVE.COM. At this website you will find answers to common questions on getting life insurance for people with diabetes. No matter what type of diabetes you have you may be able to get life insurance. Check out this site to learn more.

This is like looking for a needle in a haystack. My domain is going to expire soon and I'm deciding if I should continue with my current web host or look for something else. It is overwhelming! How do I know which web hosting is right for me? There are a lot of information out there and it can be daunting especially for a newbie. There is a website called WebHostingChoice.com where you can compare different web hosting companies. What I like about this site is they make it easy for people like you and me to choose the right webhosting. They have a table of web hosting companies and the benefits it offers. You don't have to go to different pages to see this information, it's all in one page. So you can see right there and then all the important details. You don't have to read through many paragraphs to get the information you need. It's all laid out for you: the price per month, price for set-up, price for domain, how much disk space and data transfer you get and it's money back guarantee. You can also read reviews about each web hosting company. If you want a more in depth comparison chart, they also have this laid out. It also includes the ratings each company has received from customers. If you're looking for cheap hosting then you should definitely check out this site.
- This is a sponsored post. -

No, you don't use your toothbrush to clean the faucet silly. :oP Use toothpaste to keep those chrome faucets clean. Dab some white toothpaste on a wet sponge and wipe onto the chrome fixtures, rinse with water. Doing this everytime you brush your teeth will help you save time and have clean fixtures at the same time. I also do a quick swipe of the sink with the sponge. Voila, a clean sink and faucet every day.

I've read somewhere that the average size for American women these days is a size 12. Looking at fashion magazines though, you would have thought that this statistic is wrong since almost all models are thin. Shopping at stores can be frustrating for plus sized women since most of the sizes available are for skinny to medium-sized women. If there are plus-sized clothes, the styles are not that great or flattering. It'll usually be shaped like a tent and are not fashion forward. If you are looking for plus size women clothing the good news is there's a clothing website with great styles and affordable, quality clothes. At plussizefix.com, they have fashionable clothes for all ages of plus women. They have a wide selection of clothes for teens too. I looked at the clothes they offer and it was a pleasant surprise to see beautifully designed tops and dresses for plus sized women. You should see for yourself that the clothes here are very attractive, from casual tops to dressy ones. If you are looking for something sexy, with no sleeves, they have it here. Just because you're plus-size doesn't mean you cannot wear beautiful and form fitting clothes. It's all about confidence and the way you carry yourself. Not everyone can be a size 2. So no matter what size clothes you wear, what's important is you are confident and happy with who you are.

Don't give away all that packing peanuts you got from your last online purchase. Keep some of it for your gardening. Yes, you read that right. You can use these peanuts when you're repotting your plants. Put these peanuts at the bottom of the pot to provide drainage for your plants. Great, now I don't have to walk around the yard looking for the right sized stone to cover those drainage holes.

One way to save money is to buy surplus items. These products are new and were never used. These are just products that were not sold by a certain store and are now being sold by another store at a lower price. If you are not brand concious, you can find items that are comparable to the ones that you usually buy. There are different kinds of surplus stores, some you have to purchase the whole lot while the other kind of store, you can purchase per item. No matter which you choose, you should always research for the best price you can get.

I can smell spring, and it's not too far away. Yay! I have a lot of projects lined up for our yard and vegetable garden. I hope that I'll be able to get to all of it before we leave for our summer vacation in July. I have a small vegetable garden in our lot. It's the right size for me since I don't want to spend the whole day tending to it. I love Roma tomatoes so I plant a couple of those. I found this organic tomato growing kit online. This year I want to plant some summer squash or zuccini. This year, I also want to get some organic gardening products like plant insect control. We like to eat fresh tomatoes so it's important to use organic pests control. We have too many chemical products around the house and we're trying to change that. My kids also like to help out in the garden and I feel it's safer for them if we use these Safer Brand Tomato and Vegetable Insect Killer instead of some pesticides with harmful chemicals. Which reminds me, I also need to look for some organic deer repellent. Every year, a doe and her baby Bambi eats my hostas for breakfast so I end up with half-eaten plants at the start of summer. I don't like to use strong chemicals since the kids play in the yard all summer long. It's really important not to expose the children to chemicals since we don't know if there are any long term effects from this. I think it's better to be safe this way, don't you?

Thanks to all my Entrecard visitors. I'd like to acknowledge this blog's top ten EC droppers for February by giving you all some linky love. :o)

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