Blood transfusions are an essential tool used in lifesaving situations, as are organ donations and procedures involving bone marrow transplant.  The part that stem cells can play in the treatment of such patients has been found to be invaluable. In view of that fact there is now a way to save lives that is accessible to every mother, via a safe and painless five-minute routine at the time of her baby’s birth? The good news is that the technique of collecting, processing and storing umbilical cord blood now makes it possible for almost every expectant mother to be a lifesaver.

The importance of donating umbilical cord blood

 Umbilical cord blood contains un-specialized cells ­– medical researchers have discovered that, when stimulated, these have the potential to become specialized stem cells with the attributes needed to form healthy body tissue, muscle or new blood cells. Instead of discarding the umbilical cord after birth along with the placenta, scientists established that if they collected the blood, processed, froze and stored it in an umbilical stem cell bank, it could be used later in the treatment of a growing number of serious conditions.  Amongst others, these include, leukemia and other cancers. In the future it is hoped that other illnesses can also be treated in this way, including stroke, HIV and AIDS, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease and diabetes, to name a few.

A simple way to save a life

 Although the process of draining the umbilical cord takes only a few minutes following the birth of the baby, there are a few things for the mother to do earlier in her pregnancy. She needs to check if her hospital works with a specific cord blood bank and to give her permission for the donation, complete a questionnaire about her health and allow a small blood sample to be checked in case of any infection. If all is well, then mom-to-be is set up to save a life when her new baby is born by donating the umbilical cord blood. There should be no concerns about the process to be undergone, and in case of any complication the health and safety of mother and baby is prioritized in all cases.

Donating umbilical cord blood to a public bank

 There are two types of cord blood bank – private and public. Private banks store the donation specifically for the donor’s family. Whilst this offers a degree of reassurance in the event of a serious illness developing, there is very little likelihood of this, plus there are substantial fees for the family to pay the bank initially at the time of the donation, and then annually for continuing storage. An umbilical stem cell bank that is public, on the other hand, makes no charge for handling the donation and the cord blood can be made available to those in need of it, as long as it is a good match for the proposed recipient.

The beauty of using a public cord blood bank is that children with life-threatening illnesses, such as lymphoma and Sickle Cell Anemia can access stem cell donations that would otherwise not be available to them.

When the full consultations have been undertaken the next step is to plan how to proceed.  There are five basic areas to consider when redecorating to make your home feel warm and inviting: lighting, flooring, color, furnishings and accessories. Your family’s needs and preferences will direct how you handle each element.

Lighting

Lighting is a key factor in creating a warm and inviting atmosphere in the home. Use ambient light whenever possible.  Install window blinds that can be adjusted to allow the maximum amount of sun into the room, or sheer curtains rather than heavy, dusty drapes that shut out the light. Track lighting or spotlighting can be used to create dramatic pools of light that emphasize certain features or areas of a room. Plenty of light invites people in, and creates warmth.

Flooring

Flooring is the next consideration. There’s nothing better for improving the whole look of a room, and increasing the value of your home, like quality flooring. Beveled hardwood flooring offers options that range from the simple elegance of fine-grained maple to the rugged old-world look of rustic oak. For smaller rooms, consider the lighter finishes to give the room a warm, welcoming look. Larger rooms can achieve a sophisticated look with darker flooring.

Color

Wall colors can complement the flooring and enhance the overall look of the room. Choose lighter colors, especially in smaller spaces, to make the room seem larger and more open. Colors like cream and white, or paler hues of browns, greens and yellows reflect the light and create a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Consider a traditional white for the ceiling to make it appear higher, making the room appear more open and spacious.

Furnishings

Furnishings should be functional and should earn the space they take up by being useful. Obvious choices are sofas and chairs in a family room and the table in a dining room, but bookshelves, ottomans and benches all have their place too. Consider dual-purpose furniture, like ottomans with hidden storage space for blankets and throws, or using a bookshelf to divide a larger room into manageable areas. Often, the furniture you already have can be put to good use. Sturdy wood furniture can be refinished, and couches can get a whole new look with a slip cover, saving the cost of new furnishings and keeping money in your pocket.

Accessories

Finally, accessories such as wall art complete the look of the room. Consider up-cycling, creating art projects from re-claimed items, or shopping at a local thrift store for interesting and beautiful picture frames to display family photos or children’s artwork. Mirrors make excellent wall-hangings. They reflect light and make the room seem larger and more inviting. Wall graphics and murals are also increasingly popular. Let your creativity and personal sense of style loose as you choose accessories for your room. Consider a theme, like angels or wildlife, and build your decorating style around that look. Making a room inviting is a matter of adding your personal stamp to your space, and making your home uniquely your own.

Once I got my own place, I did not have the luxury of having a dishwasher.  I had to wash the dishes by hand and continued to do this for several years.

My husband is actually the official “dish washer” in our house.  He took on that responsibility once we started having children and it has been a HUGE blessing.  We have a nightly routine where he cleans up and does the dishes following dinner.  And the sink is usually filled to the brim from not only dinner dishes, but also breakfast and lunch as well.  He never complains either.  But I am not writing to talk about what a great husband I have….  LOL

In our old apartment, there was a dishwasher, but it was broken so we used it as storage.  We pretty much forgot about it and were pretty content washing the dishes by hand.  But when we moved into our current new home, I was so excited to see that there was a dishwasher that actually worked.

Even before we moved in I imagined how we would probably use it on a daily basis and how it would make life so much easier.   I filled it a few times, but my husband refuses to use it.  He is happy just doing the dishes the good ol’ fashioned way.  I guess this is good because I imagine that we are saving energy by NOT using it and therefore saving on our electric bill.

But there are still days when the dishes are piled so high in the sink with all the sippy cups, cereal bowls, and baby bottles – I wind up taking everything and piling it into the dishwasher because I just can’t stand looking at the mess anymore.  But the other day, when I went to unload the dishwasher, I noticed that everything was all over the place and that things were filled with soapy water.  So, I decided to Google “How to fill a dishwasher”.  LOL  I mean who looks this stuff up?  LOL…   ME OF COURSE!

Here are some DISHWASHER MISTAKES that might be helpful.

1. Dishwasher Detergent – adding extra detergent to the dishwasher will not make the dishes get cleaner.  It will most often leave a soapy film on the dishes.

2. Overfilling – Overfilling the dishwasher can prevent the dishes from getting clean and can also damage the dishes if they wind up bumping into each other.

3. Too Much Food Dishwashers today can handle food that is left on dishes, but it is important to scrape off the big stuff first.  You may not need to pre-rinse the dishes, but scraping them off first will help your dishwasher to run smoothly.

4. Non-Dishwasher Safe Items – Make sure the items you are putting into the dishwasher are dishwasher safe.  Avoid putting wood, copper, cast-iron, delicate glassware, and other non-dishwasher safe items in the dishwasher. Wood can split and crack.  Delicate glassware can break in a dishwasher causing a big mess to clean up.

5. Top Rack vs. Bottom Rack -  Put glasses, bowls, cups, and oversized serving utensils on the top. Plates, pots, pans, and utensils should be on the bottom. Some items can melt, warp, or break if they are put in the wrong places.

6. Blocking the Sprayer -  It is important to know how the sprayer works in your dishwasher. The sprayer should be able to reach every corner of the dishwasher, and clean every dish without any obstruction. If there is a large bowl or pan that blocks the path of the sprayer, then the rest of the dishes will may not be cleaned properly. Double-check that your sprayer has full range of motion and isn’t being blocked.

7. Nesting Utensils -  Forks are notorious for holding onto residue in the dishwasher. Spoons that nest together can also remain encrusted with food.  You should try to alternate the utensils so they point both up and down to prevent nesting. Knives should always point downward for safety.

8. Partially Filled – Even though you may think it is better to just partially fill a dishwasher, this is actually a waste of resources.  This can also cause dishes to bang and bump into eachother increasing the risk of being broken.

9. Dishwasher Maintenance – Cleaning your dishwasher is essential in keeping it running properly.  To clean the inside, you can run it empty with a cup of baking soda and 1 1/2 cups of vinegar. This not only cleans the inside of the dishwasher, but also freshens it as well.  Along with cleaning, it is also important to make sure your dishwasher is functioning properly. Companies like PartSelect provide cheap appliance parts so that you can fix problems yourself.  How cool is that?

10. Unloading – Unload the bottom rack  first.  The top rack often has cups that can have dirty water in them and you don’t want them to accidentally spill over the clean dishes on the bottom.

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I also came up with several great Youtube videos and I thought I would share this one with you.  I am sure you already know how to fill a dishwasher properly, but for people like me, this was extremely helpful.

How about you?  Do you own a dishwasher?  Do you think it saves energy to wash dishes in a dishwasher or by hand?  Do you have any dishwasher tips that you would like to share?  Please comment below!

But first, enjoy these fun cartoons that I found on the subject.

The good thing about making home-made Mother’s Day presents is that you have the freedom to personalized the present. You will also be able to mix and match for gift items that the recipient may want or need.The following are some of the home-made Mother’s Day gift baskets ideas you can consider this coming Mother’s Day.

Healthy Fruit Gift Basket

A gift basket filled with fruits would be a healthy gift you can give to your mom during Mother’s Day. The fruits will be useful as a dessert or healthy snack. If you mom is on a healthy diet, then it would be ideal for her. To make home-made fruit gift baskets, you can shop for good and delicious fruits, and then put them in the basket. Wrap the basket with good-looking wrapping plastic, tie it with a ribbon, and then that’s it. To make it look presentable, you can add a small greeting card with your special message to your mom. Before you buy fruits for the gift basket, you should check if your mom is allergic to a specific type of fruit. It is important because it cannot be good to give your mom something she will not like, or fruits that she is allergic to.

Coffee and Cookies Gift Basket

Another alternative gift basket you can make for your mom is coffee and cookies gift baskets. This is an ideal Mother’s Day present for moms who likes drinking coffee. Cookies would be a good match for coffee during snack time with family and friends.

Food Gift Basket

If your mom is into cooking, you can make a home-made gift basket that is filled with the ingredients of her favorite food recipe. For example, if she likes to eat spaghetti, you can make a gift basket filled with pasta, spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce, cheese, and etc. There are other kinds of food gift baskets ideas you can consider for Mother’s Day.

If, like me, you find that cleaning your house is a really time-consuming chore, these tips may be helpful to you.  While we all know that house cleaning is essential, it is often a task that we put off in order to do more enjoyable or urgent things. Luckily, with the modern-day cleaning products and technological aids that we all have in our homes, it really isn’t as bad as it used to be. Cleaning your home effectively these days doesn’t mean enduring hours of toil. In fact, there are ways to speed up the cleaning process and save some of your hard earned money at the same time.

Saving Time and Money

1. Start by creating a cleaning schedule and allot only a set amount of time for cleaning each room. You must then work sticking rigidly to your schedule. Ensure that you have all your supplies ready beforehand, as you will save time by being organized and fully prepared.

2. Avoid supposed “super” cleaners. These are highly concentrated chemical cleaners. You can achieve the same results with standard concentrations. For high concentrates, mix with water to dilute and make the solution last far longer. There is no reason to waste money when a low concentration works just as well.

3. Declutter the trouble spots. House cleaning often hits a snag when you have to stop to declutter every area before you even get to the dusting, vacuuming or other cleaning tasks. If you have persistent trouble spots (usually the lounge and kitchen) devote some time to reorganizing these areas. It will save you a considerable amount of time when cleaning. When you do clean, remove any new clutter as you go.

4. Use natural cleaning products. Strong chemical cleaners are often expensive. Instead, consider using natural solutions such as white vinegar, lemon juice and baking soda. These often work better than their harsh counterparts. For instance, lemon juice and fresh lemons are perfect for cleaning off hard water stains and fabric stains. The same ingredients can be used for polishing furniture (when mixed with olive oil) and for deodorizing garbage disposals. Nasty carpet stains can be removed using a white vinegar/water solution.

5. Get help. While this may seem obvious, if you are not the only person living in a house, ask others to help out. Give everyone certain tasks to perform each day. This saves time and prevents the entire burden from falling on one individual – you!

Alternative Tips for Budget Cleaning

Cleaning doesn’t have to be expensive. For instance, you don’t need polish to clean your furniture, use microfiber cleaning tools that can be washed and reused. Use them dry in most cases or use a tiny bit of water or lemon/olive oil solution.

When it comes to cleaning windows, avoid using proprietary window cleaner solutions. Use warm water, white vinegar and dishwashing solution. To avoid having to clean twice, only clean the windows on cloudy days.

Finally, don’t buy a different cleaner for every task. Many cleaners and natural cleaners are multi-purpose. They work on windows, counters, tables, knick-knacks and more. A single cleaner is much better than a cluttered cabinet full.

When to Hire a Maid

Sometimes you are simply too busy to handle the house cleaning yourself. Don’t stress. Instead, consider hiring a maid. They can do as little or as much as you need them to.  Being professionals they will also do a better job than you could. They can handle all the rooms and associated cleaning tasks. You choose how often they need to come. It need not be expensive; most maids are quite budget friendly. The time you will save to do other things is well worth the cost.