When most people hear the words “air pollution”, they think of big businesses and car emissions and how they impact the quality of the air outside.  Air pollution isn’t all about outdoor air quality. There are ways that you can improve indoor air quality as well.  Their are indoor sources of contaminants that reduce the quality of the air in your home.   Just a few of these indoor sources are your pets, dust, or chemicals from fragrances or cleaners.  People with asthma, children, or the elderly are especially sensitive to indoor air quality.  Since both Sarah and I have asthma, learning how to improve indoor air quality is important to me.

Improve Indoor Air Quality

Here are six simple ways that you can improve indoor air quality in your home.

1. Vacuum – Regularly removing pet hair, dust and contaminants that have been tracked in from outside will help improve indoor air quality.  Make sure that the vacuum you choose has a HEPA filter to catch as many of these pollutants as possible.
2. Second hand smoke – Encourage people to smoke outside your home. Since second hand smoke is a huge trigger for many asthmatics, we don’t allow smoking inside our home.
3. Natural fragrances – When choosing air fresheners and cleaners, choose products with natural fragrances instead of chemical fragrances.
4. Brush your pets regularly – Brushing your pet regularly to remove loose hair will help keep it off the floor and the furniture.
5. Houseplants – Houseplants like ferns, spider plants and aloe vera can help remove chemical pollutants.
6. Change your filter – Change your furnace filter regularly to make sure it is removing airborne dust, allergens, bacteria and viruses.

We have a forced hot air furnace that we use along with our wood stove. We use the Filtrete Odor Reduction Filter in our furnace.  It helps create a healthy home by capturing things in the air to improve indoor air quality.  The Odor Reduction Filter has a unique 2 sided design.  One side captures the large airborne particles and the second side removes household odors.  Unlike air fresheners, it doesn’t release volatile organic compounds into the air.  Filtrete Filters also help maintain airflow in heating and cooling systems, which may help prevent stress on the system and reduce the amount of energy needed to reach desired indoor air temperatures.  It actually removes the odors instead of masking them with a perfume smell. I definitely notice an improvement in the air quality when I use it.

Old filter

Each filter lasts up to three months for odor removal and particle capture.  The suggested retail price for one Filtrete Odor Reduction Filter is $15.99.  You can purchase them from stores including Lowes, Target, Walmart, and Costco.  Many local hardware stores carry it as well.

New Filter

To help you address indoor air quality, Filtrete Brand has partnered with Mike Holmes, renowned HGTV contractor, on the Filtrete Healthy Home Remodel Contest.  One grand prize winner, selected by Mike Holmes, will receive $30,000 worth of home inspections, repairs, and renovations by a Holmes Group approved contractor.  Four first prize winners will be awarded $5,000 cash to put towards home repairs. To enter through June 30, 2013:

• Visit Facebook.com/Filtrete and “like” the page.
• Explain in 1,000 words or less why your home deserves a healthier home remodel.
• Submit up to two photos to support your essay.
• For more details, see the official rules.

Connect with Filtrete on Twitter. Register to receive seasonal e-newsletters featuring special offers, filter change reminders, better home living tips and more by visiting www.Filtrete.com.

This post on how to improve indoor quality has been brought to you by Filtrete. I am a Filtrete Ambassador. All opinions are mine and mine alone.

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Banana Almond Paleo Smoothie

Banana Almond Paleo Smoothie – Delicious & Healthy

 

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Author: Ellen Christian

Recipe type: Smoothie

Cuisine: Paleo

Serves: 1

Ingredients

• 1 frozen banana
• 1 cup of almond milk
• 2 tsp almond butter
• 1 packet Stevia
• 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds – unsalted
• 1 tbsp heaping of slivered almonds
• Cinnamon to taste

Instructions

1. Add everything to the blender.
2. Blend on your smoothie setting until well mixed.
3. Pour in a glass.
4. Sprinkle cinnamon on the top.
5. Enjoy

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I added pumpkin seeds to my smoothie but  you could easily add sunflower seeds instead.  I have read conflicting information about Stevia and the Paleo diet.  Some articles say that it is fine in moderation since it is natural.  Other articles say that since it has been processed into a powder, it should be avoided.  I enjoy my smoothies on the sweet side so adding a packet of Stevia work for me. If you’d rather not use Stevia, you can certainly leave it out. It still tastes good. it is just not quite as sweet without the Stevia.

I love the taste of the almonds and banana together.  Adding the almonds and pumpkin seeds gives this Paleo smoothie a little bit of crunch to it which is fun.

The post Banana Almond Paleo Smoothie – Delicious & Healthy appeared first on Confessions of an Overworked Mom.

Nuts and Paleo eating go hand in hand.  If you’re not familiar with the Paleo diet or  Paleolithic diet, encourages people to eat mainly fish, grass-fed pasture raised meats, eggs, vegetables, fruit, fungi, roots, and nuts, and excludes grains, legumes, dairy products, potatoes, refined salt, refined sugar, and processed oils. Our early ancestors were much healthier than we are today. This is, in part, due to the fact that they didn’t have foods like brownies, soda, potato chips, and cheese puffs available to them. They also didn’t sit in a chair all day behind a computer screen or on the couch watching television.

Nuts and Paleo Eating

While I don’t follow the Paleo diet all of the time, I do try to incorporate Paleo meals into my family’s meals and snacks.   I generally don’t have a problem sticking to the Paleo diet for dinner time.  Low carb is really a very healthy way to eat so leaving out the pasta or rice from my meal is not a huge problem.  Where I do seem to have a problem is with snacks and “treats” during the day.  I love to nibble and most of the things that I am used to nibbling on are salted snacks, candy or cookies. None of those are traditionally considered to fit into the Paleo diet. That’s why understanding how nuts and Paleo eating work together is important.

Here are a few of the snacks that I enjoy that do fit into the Paleo diet.

• Celery sticks and nut butter.  Be aware that peanuts are not part of the Paleo diet. Peanuts are actually legumes and legumes are not included. However, you can enjoy cashew butter or almond butter.
• You can use nut flours. Because you can use nuts, you are allowed to use nut flours. Baking with them isn’t the same as baking with traditional flour but it is possible. I’m still working on this one.
• Almond milk can be substituted for dairy in many recipes. I admit that giving up traditional dairy products is the biggest stumbling block for me with the Paleo diet.  Almond milk lets me make things like cream soups and smoothies that are Paleo. I make a yummy Banana Almond Paleo Smoothie that is really good.
• Nuts as snacks.  When I really get the urge to nibble, I grab a handful of nuts to snack on.  It gives me the ability to snack without snacking on something I shouldn’t.

Fisher Nuts and Chef Alex Guarnaschelli offer several tips on cooking with nuts.  While they aren’t all suitable for the Paleo diet, some are.  These are a few of my favorites:

• Upgraded Spice Rub: Next time you’re cooking meat, add some ground nuts to your spice rub. The nuts can mellow some of the heat from the spice and add needed richness to the mix.
• Spruced up Salads: Healthy greens are a great companion to nuts. Try topping a chopped Arugula salad with walnuts or adding pecans to Dandelion greens. Radicchio is delicious with almonds and apples. Using nuts can easily expand your salad horizon.
• Healthy Snack: Nuts add wonderful flavor and texture when mixed into recipes, but they can also be a healthy snack—season nuts with a little cayenne and quickly roast them in a little olive or nut oil

One of my lucky readers will win a prize pack from Fisher Nuts so they can try a few of their recipes:

The prize pack (approximately a $56 value) will include:

• Trudeau Melamine Mixing Bowls (Set of 3)
• Trudeau 5-Piece Measuring Spoon Set
• Casabella Jumbo Muffin Cups
• Fisher Chef’s Naturals Sliced Almonds
• Fisher Chef’s Naturals Walnut Halves & Pieces
• Fisher Pecan Halves

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

This post on nuts and Paleo eating is brought to you by Fisher.   I am working with Fisher to share Chef Alex Guarnaschelli’s recipes and create my own original recipe using Fisher Nuts and tools they provided. However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.

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What: Learn the best ways to take care of your pet, keep them in good health, & find out how easy it is to donate to AHA pet shelters across the U.S.!

Whether you’re a new or seasoned pet owner, join this party and share tips on fleas, ticks, dental problems, obesity and much more. Leading pet care product company Sergeant’s teamed up with actress and animal advocate Tiffani Thiessen (@TAThiessen) to share easy ways that everyone can emBARK on Pet Health!

Since February, Sergeant’s has asked pet lovers to take an online pledge committing to care for their pets. For every pledge, Sergeant’s sends a pet health kit (retailing up to $50 in value) to participating shelters with the help of the American Humane Association (AHA). These kits go home with newly adopted pets from AHA shelters nationwide to ensure their health care regimen is off to a great start. Sergeant’s has yet to reach their total pledge goal – and needs our help to spread the word to family and friends to show everyone how to help shelter animals.

Each person who takes the pledge will receive a coupon for $3.00 off their next Sergeant’s or Sentry purchase to help keep their own pet care plan on track.

When: Wednesday, May 29, at 1pm ET (the party will last one hour)

Where: We’ll be on Twitter – follow the #SergeantsPet hashtag to track the conversation. You can see the details and RSVP via this Twtvite: http://twtvite.com/sergeantspet2

Hashtag: #SergeantsPet

Prizes: We’ll award five prizes throughout the party to random participants who have answered a trivia question correctly.

Each prize includes free flea & tick product for the winner’s pet, the pet health kit (as seen on the emBARK website), an emBARK on Pet Health t-shirt, a head shot of campaign spokesperson Tiffani Thiessen, and a DVD copy of White Collar (Tiffani’s hit show on USA Network).

Hosts: @theMotherhood, @CooperMunroe, @EmilyMcKhann

Your fellow co-hosts:

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After

Organizing Makeup – Nail Polish

I’ve seen a variety of different ways to organize nail polish. The method that works for you will really depend on how much nail polish you have.  If you have only a few bottles, a little wicker basket on your makeup table make work for you. If you have a few dozen, they sell racks that hold them quite well.  If you’re handy, you can re-purpose a spice rack and store them that way. My preference is generally to use what you have on hand before you go out and buy something new. If you have hundreds of bottles, you may need to break down and have a wall mounted organization system built and hung.

Before

These are the steps I go through to when organizing makeup.

• Bring all the nail polish to one central location. This isn’t as unusual as you think. I regularly find my nail polish bottles on my desk, in the medicine chest in the bathroom or in my daughter’s room.
• Bring your nail polish accessories into the same area: pedicure kits, nail files, nail buffers, polish remover, and cotton balls.
• Go through your collection and decide which (if any) you will be getting rid of. I rarely get rid of nail polish. You never know when you might need that color.
• Decide how you want to organize your polish. You can organize by brand, by color, or by opacity. You can group all the glitters together, all the textures together, all the cream polishes together, etc. Which method you choose really depends on how much polish you have and how many different types of polish.
• Based on how many of each type of polish you have, decide which type of container you want to hold them in.

Tossing all your nail polish in one huge basket of bin certainly works to keep them all in one place.  However, it’s the least efficient way to organize your nail polish.  Just imagine how difficult it’s going to be to find that perfect shade of blue you know have. You’ll have to go through ever single bottle until you find it. You need to make sure that the bottles of the polish are easily seen OR if you have nail polish bottles with white tops, you can dab a dot of the nail polish on top of the handle for easy reference.  Most of my bottle tops are black so this method doesn’t really work for me. If you’re a huge fan of Essie or Priti polish, you can certainly use this method.

If you have a huge collection of nail polish and cannot use the wall storage method, I recommend cute storage boxes.  If you use storage boxes, it will be very important that you make a key to find them quickly.  Just dab on each color in the box and write the name next to it to make finding in easier.  I have grouped my polishes by color.  Anything that I only have one or two of and all my top and bottom coats go into a little basket.

If you like the rack I store my nail polish on, you can find it on Amazon.  How do you store your nail polish?

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For as long as I can remember, the gray wolf has been my very favorite wild animal. There is just something about this gorgeous animal that touches my heart.  While we don’t have wolves in Vermont, during the summer, when our windows are open, I can listen to the coyotes howl in the fields across from our house.   Their howls always remind me of the way wolves howl at the moon. Wolves have been howling at the moon for thousands of years.

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PBS Nova Video Cold Warriors Wolves And Buffalo

PBS Nova Video has a DVD titled Cold Warrior Wolves and Buffalo  that will give you an up close look at the relationship between wolves and buffalo. In most places in the world, the wolves and buffalo don’t live like they did thousands of years ago.  Our wilderness has been replace with cities and even our rural areas are more populated than ever before. One place that has managed to maintain the same relationship between wolves and buffalo is the northern edge of the continent’s central plains – Wood Buffalo National Park.

Cold Warriors Wolves and Buffalo (see it on Amazon) originally aired on PBS on February 13, 2013 as part of the Nature programming (season 31). Filmmaker, Jeff Turner, travels to Canada’s largest park that was established in 1922 to protect what was left of the free roaming buffalo herds. Turner follows (by helicopter) a wolf pack during the winter as they find prey to hunt in order to survive the winter. Typically, a pack needs to kill one buffalo a week in order to survive. This film is shot during several seasons and follows the wolves and buffalo through their normal daily lives including both birth and death.

The photography in PBS Nova Video Cold Warriors Wolves And Buffalo is truly amazing.  Both the landscape and the wolves and buffalo are presented in the most amazing photos.  This film is a fascinating look at the relationship between the two animals.  You also get a wonderful insight into the social habits and behavior of the wolves and how they interact in the pack.  If you enjoy nature films, this is definitely one I recommend.

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Check out the latest in this entertainment roundup and decide what you’re planning on watching this weekend! Get a sitter for the kids and head out for a little bit of fun. Make sure to mark your calendar for upcoming releases!

Entertainment Roundup

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Join Mickey, Minnie, Pluto and all their pals in the newest Clubhouse crusade. When the legendary Crystal Mickey goes missing, Mickey and friends go on an adventure to save the Clubhouse from losing its magic. Grab your hat, buckle your seatbelt, and get ready to embark on a thrilling adventure in “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: The Quest for the Crystal Mickey!”  Arrives on DVD – May 21, 2013

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At MONSTERS UNIVERSITY, it takes a lot to fuel a day of scaring and nothing scares up successful days more than a breakfast with milk. A glass of milk – with 8 grams of high-quality protein in each 8 oz serving – can help power your monster days!   Connect with the Milk Mustache community for tips, tools and activities including tasty morning recipes for all the little “monsters” in your family.  Facebook: MilkMustache  MONSTERS UNIVERSITY releases in theaters on June 21st!

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This newest PBS KIDS series, produced by The Fred Rogers Company and created by Billy Aronson (one of the original creators of Broadway’s “Rent”) and Jennifer Oxley (“Wonder Pets”), introduces the adorable, spirited Peg, voiced by newcomer 9-year-old Hayley Faith, and her sidekick Cat, inspired by Oxley’s own pet cat. Peg and Cat travel to farms, purple planets, Radio City Music Hall, even 16^th-century Verona, all to solve the challenge of the day and prove that math is everywhere.  PEG + CAT will launch with a special one-hour broadcast of two episodes Monday, October 7.

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In celebration of Shout! Factory’s release of MONSUNO: POWER on DVD May 21st.

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THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE begins as Katniss Everdeen has returned home safe after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games along with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark.  Winning means that they must turn around and leave their family and close friends, embarking on a “Victor’s Tour” of the districts.  Along the way Katniss senses that a rebellion is simmering, but the Capitol is still very much in control as President Snow prepares the 75th Annual Hunger Games (The Quarter Quell) – a competition that could change Panem forever.  Lionsgate will release THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE on November 22, 2013.

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From above the world of “Cars” comes “Disney’s Planes,” an action-packed 3D animated comedy adventure featuring Dusty (voice of Dane Cook), a plane with dreams of competing as a high-flying air racer. But Dusty’s not exactly built for racing—and he happens to be afraid of heights. So he turns to a seasoned naval aviator who helps Dusty qualify to take on the defending champ of the race circuit. Dusty’s courage is put to the ultimate test as he aims to reach heights he never dreamed possible, giving a spellbound world the inspiration to soar. “Disney’s Planes” takes off in theaters on Aug. 9, 2013.

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ABC invites audiences to to enjoy the magic, drama, music, and heart-stopping TV on DVD and BLU-RAY this Fall!!  Check out the following seasons available this August/September:

• “Once Upon a Time: The Complete Second Season”
• “Scandal: The Complete Second Season”
• “Nashville: The Complete First Season”
• “Grey’s Anatomy: The Complete Ninth Season”

Disclosure: This entertainment roundup post may contain affiliate links.

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Aeolian Salad

5.0 from 1 reviews

Aeolian Salad – Insalata Eoliana

 

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Author: Ellen Christian as found in The Flavours of Sicily

Recipe type: Salad

Cuisine: Italian

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1¾ pounds of tomatoes
• Green olives
• Capers (optional)
• 1 Tropa red onion
• Salted anchovies (optional)
• Oregano
• A few basil leaves
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Red wine vinegar
• Salt
• Pepper

Instructions

1. Slice the tomatoes.
2. Combine the tomatoes, olives, capers, sliced red onion, oregano, basil, salt and pepper and a few pieces of salted anchovy.
3. Drizzle the Aeolian Salad with extra virgin olive oil and a dash of red wine vinegar.

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You can serve the Aeolian Salad over a bed of lettuce if you like or just enjoy it as is. It’s a wonderfully light accompaniment for barbecued meat or burgers where there is already a carbohydrate in the meal thanks to the bun.  To bring this dish with you to a party, slice all of the ingredients ahead of time and plate them at the last moment right before you heat. That will ensure that the tomatoes are at their freshest when your guests sit down to enjoy the meal. I found this recipe in The Flavours of Sicily.

What is your favorite salad to bring with you to a barbecue?

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You’ve probably heard me mention that I grew up in the suburbs in Connecticut several times.  The area I grew up in had a very heavy Italian population.  None of our holidays or get togethers was complete without several Italian dishes and desserts. To this day, it is just not Christmas without a big dish of lasagna and pizzelle for dessert. Not everyone knows that “Italian Cooking” actually consists of a lot of different separate regional types of cooking – one of which is Sicilian Cuisine.

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Sicilian Cuisine

Sicily is an island in off the coast of Italy.  Since it’s an island, seafood plays a big part in Sicilian cuisine.  There are also Spanish, Greek and Arab influences in Sicilian Cuisine.  Sicilian cuisine is a unique combination of flavors that I really enjoy. The Flavours of Sicily is a cookbook that features 80 traditional and non-traditional Sicilian recipes.  Not only is The Flavours of Sicily a cookbook, it’s also a look into the culture and lifestyle of Sicily.  The book begins with a look at local specialties of Sicily including those from the land and the sea as well as a special look at cheese, honey and chocolate.

The entire cookbook including the recipes themselves are written in both English and Italian.  The English version lists the ingredients in both metric and standard equivalents.  The Italian version lists the ingredients in metric only. Many of the ingredients are listed by their Italian name – for example an aubergine is actually an eggplant. If you’re not familiar with Italian, a quick Google will show you what the English name is. The recipes are very easy to follow.  They use fresh, whole ingredients that should be available at your standard grocery store.  There may be a few specialty cheeses or seafood items that will be harder to find depending on the size of your store.

I love the selection of recipes included in The Flavours of Sicily (see it on Amazon). Recipes are broken down into Antipastos, Salads and Street Foods; First Courses; Meat; Fish; and Desserts.  There are also chapters on Local Specialties; Herbs of Sicily; Wines; and Food and Wine in Sicily. The recipes are a combination of dishes I would serve while entertaining or making a special evening and those that I would serve on a normal night at home.  The Lentil Soup and Pasta with Broccoli are dishes that my family would love any time.  The Lamb Stuffed with Potatoes and Pistachio Pesto and the Jasmine Blancmange are dishes I would make for a special evening with friends.  I made the Aeolian Salad (Insalata eoliana) and it made a wonderful lunch for my daughter and I.

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Making Butterflies

Teabag folding

Teabag folding is a paper folding technique that originated in The Netherlands. It uses small, square pieces of paper with symmetrical patterns. They are folded in a way that the final project has a 3D look.  I use origami papers or teabag tiles when I do teabag folding.  You can purchase teabag tiles or print your own for free.  There are many different types of butterfly folds you can do with teabag folding. You can find the directions I used here.

• Print out a sheet of tiles in your color preference.
• Fold two tiles following the directions I shared above.
• Draw the body of the butterfly and the feelers using a fine point marker on a plane note card or sheet of paper.
• Draw a line of dots to show the butterfly’s  flight.

I used a blue card and cut off a strip of scrapbook paper that had a green grass pattern to give mine the look of a butterfly flying in the air. You can do yours that way or any way that inspires you.

Fan Folding

Fan folding is simply creating many of the same folds on one piece of paper. If you remember making paper fans when you were in elementary school, it’s the same basic process.  Making butterflies with paper can be a great way to decorate a party. In this photo, I used the fan folding technique to create a butterfly to attach to a Boogie Wipe sample I was going to pass out. You can attach yours to a party invitation, a homemade card or make a mobile of them to decorate your home. These are the basic directions I used to create a fan folded butterfly. I just used a piece of scrapbooking paper and Christmas ribbon to tie the butterfly.

Origami

Origami is the Japanese art of paper folding.  Unlike teabag folding, origami creations are typically made with one piece of paper that is folded many ways to create a 3D project. The paper you use for an origami project should be light weight.  I use special origami papers but if you do not have those, you can use wrapping paper instead.  These are the directions I followed to create my origami butterfly.  I created mine out of an opalescent blue origami paper.

I used a full sheet of origami paper and that made an origami butterfly about the size of my palm. If you want a smaller butterfly, cut the paper in four squares.

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