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Slacker Mom Shortcuts: A Louse in the House

Posted on November 1, 2011 by kmurray

Lice are basically my worst nightmare come true/the source of my most vitriolic hatred. The first time my girls got them was right before my sister’s wedding. They had been itching their heads for days, and I thought that it was just their shampoo. I was my sister’s mother in law (who is wise in the ways of head parasites) who discovered them and showed me that my girls had a MAJOR infestation of lice. I pretty much needed a Valium after that.

We treated them and spent the next 48 hours doing comb out’s and vaccuming and/or boiling every atom in our home. After about 6 weeks (yes, you read that right) we eradicated them from our heads and house. (Did I mention that I got them too? Yep, my loving husband stayed up till 2 am one night doing a comb out of my hair.) Of all the lice treatments I used, I liked this one the best. It worked better than over the counter lice treatments and better than the prescription treatment.

A Slacker Mom does not like to vacuum/boil every atom in her home everyday. I’m not sure there’s a type of mom who does. That’s why I decided that it has to be easier to prevent lice then to treat them. I offer this lice repellent recipe with this disclaimer: This has worked for me. It is not scientifically proven, nor will it ever be. Unless something is a patentable drug, it will not get funding for testing and therefore will never have the backing of science. Science is a whore that is sold to the highest bidder. Wow, this disclaimer got seriously out of hand. Where is that old bottle of Valium? *end disclaimer*

Lice repellent spray/detangler/leave in conditioner:

You will need a new 12 oz. plastic or aluminium spray bottle…

Into the spray bottle add:

2 tbsp conditioner of your choice (or just give the conditioner bottle 2 big squeezes…this isn’t science, remember?)

10 drops clove essential oil

Warm water to fill the bottle

Easy peasy lemon squeezy. Use the spray after washing hair, and daily when combing. Bonus: It smells delicious. We haven’t had lice once since using this repellent even though I get a least one notice a week from the girls school that lice has been found on the head of one of their classmates. Lice are rampant in many places, especially warm places like Arizona. One of the reasons that lice are rampant is that people are ashamed to admit their kids have lice, send them to school anyway, and then continue to infest others. We’ve got to come out of the shadows ladies! All kids can get lice. Lice actually prefer clean hair. It has nothing to do with being poor or dirty!

Posted in Slacker Mom Shortcuts | 3 Comments

It’s Not Enough to Want to be Hospitable

Posted on August 12, 2011 by kmurray

Over the spring and summer months in the Murray household, we have many visitors. Relatives from the frozen tundra come in droves for Scottsdale’s famously beautiful spring weather. While others are still chipping ice off their windshields, we are getting our tans started. Of course when the weather is nice, it means entertaining and hosting relatives and friends in our home.

Hospitality is a dying art. Its not enough to want to have people over, to want to be a beacon of hospitality. You have to do it. I have friends who I have known for many years who’s homes I have never seen. Maybe that’s more a commentary on me than on them, but I can’t help but think that’s becoming the trend. Meeting up for coffee, or at a restaurant to catch up rather than sitting on the couch with a cup of coffee and talking for hours.

I blame HGTV. Everyone thinks their home has to be perfectly clean or lavishly appointed so that their friends don’t think they are total schmucks. That’s a fallacy. We are all schmucks who make messes in our houses. None of our homes look like the ones on CSI Miami. Seriously, who believes that every time they find a dead person on that show that they are going to be laying in a posh lawn chair in a perfectly manicured backyard?!? Come on. Okay, so I guess I blame HGTV and CSI Miami. And backyard fences. And attached garages. There’s a lot of blame to go around. And a lot of benign, inanimate objects to accept that blame. I blame, blame.

The last 2 homes we have lived in have not been what I would consider ideal spaces for entertaining guests…especially my kitchens. Cooking in the kitchen in my first home was a whole lot more like camping than anything else. Only one of my 4 burners on my 60 year old stove (that’s no exaggeration) worked consistently and the inside of the oven was not big enough to fit a turkey and only worked when set to 500 degrees. My next kitchen was better functioning, but the size of a postage stamp. Still, we made delicious things and had wonderful parties out of those kitchens. And somehow everyone stood around in my ridiculously small kitchens! No matter how little money we had and how shabby my drapes were, we have always loved having people in our home.

We recently moved in to a new home. It is (in my mind) the perfect home for entertaining. (Thank you Lord Jesus for this wonderful blessing!!!) We have been here 2 weeks and are having a housewarming open house tomorrow. We’ve already had guests for dinner 3 times. All three times we were only partially unpacked. This is not to say that we are these great hosts, we are not. It’s just to say that if you open your home to others, regardless of its size, appointments and cleanliness, people respond. People, I have found, are hungry for real hospitality.

All the credit for my any sense of hospitality I have goes to my mother. She has always been the ultimate hostess! Not because she is “Martha Stewart” but because when a neighbor down the street would call with a trouble, my mom would tell her to come right over, and she would have a pot of coffee on and a pan of brownies in the oven before the neighbor could walk down the street. And she would do that before she would wash the dishes that were in the sink. She cared more about making her guest feel welcome (coffee and brownies) then making herself look good (clean dishes.)

Once all us kids started in school, you could almost always count on extra dinner guests. Our house was the “hang-out” house. It was where all of our friends wanted to come. Not because it was the biggest, nicest or had the best toys, (in Scottsdale there are many wealthy people who had homes MUCH swankier than ours) but because they felt loved and accepted. And also because my mom always fed them. Teenagers of both genders can be won over easily with food.

So I encourage you, dear readers (all three of you) to be hospitable. Especially to your neighbors! You should know all the people that live in close proximity to you! Have a block party, or a holiday brunch, or iced tea on the porch…whatever it takes. Be the weirdo that comes over (even after years of living next door) with a plate of cookies and breaks the ice. Let them see the pile of unfolded laundry on your couch. It will make them feel better about theirs. Let them see the crumbs under your kitchen table. They will know you actually eat there. Let them see the little finger smudges on your doors. They will know that kids are allowed to be kids in your home. I’ve done the math…a pot of coffee and scratch snickerdoodles cost exactly $.14. And take it from me, you’ll want to sweep the floor after the party, not before it.

Posted in confessions, Family, Random | 12 Comments

The Law of the Kinsman Redeemer

Posted on April 22, 2011 by kmurray

The Law of the Kinsman Redeemer has been on my mind over the last few days. It’s an often overlooked concept that is buried deep in the pages of the Old Testament, most notably in the book of Ruth. In ancient Israel, slavery was a common part of everyday life. The children of slaves were destined to be slaves. Neighboring enemy nations would pillage, and those people they didn’t kill, they would take captive as slaves. If an Israelite fell on hard times and declared bankruptcy, they had to sell themselves into slavery in order to pay their debts and save their families from starvation.

The only hope that those captive to the bonds of slavery had was a kinsman redeemer. This was the only way that they would ever be able to live a life of freedom. There are 4 requirements in order to fulfill this Old Testament law:*

He must be near of kin. (Leviticus 25:48; 25:25 Ruth 3:12–13)
He must be able to redeem by being free himself.(Ruth 4:4–6).
He must be willing to redeem (Ruth 4:6)
Redemption was completed when the price was completely paid (Leviticus 25:27; Ruth 4:7-11).

Christ is our kinsman because he took on flesh. He was 100% man while still being 100% Divine. He became our kinsman not just in the sense that he had a physical body. He also experienced the grief, betrayal, temptation, and anguish that we do. He is a God who can relate to our tremendous struggles.

For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted. (Hebrews 2:18).

Christ was able to redeem us because He is free himself. He was the only man on earth who was not in bondage to sin. In order to pay the debts of all mankind, it wasn’t enough for the kinsman redeemer to be merely free in the physical sense. He had to be a sinless, divine being. That’s the only ransom that would cover the debts of a bankrupt humankind.

Of all of the requirements of the kinsman redeemer, the one that astonishes me the most is that He was willing. Mankind was the equivalent of a ruined pot of soup, the logical solution would have been to feed it to the dog, scrub the pot, and start again. Instead, God the Father was willing to sacrifice His own Son to redeem it.

I am overcome by how radical Grace is. It literally upended the law of the universe. It is undisputed natural law that you reap what you sow, that what goes up must come down, that you get back what you put in. And then…Grace shatters everything we know about karma. Suddenly, we get what we don’t deserve. Because of love, Jesus gives His perfect, sinless, precious life to heal us, to buy us back, to redeem us. We are worth the Son to the Father.

He goes to the cross, the grave, and then the very pit of Hell until our ransom’s paid. And if that were the end of the story, it would be no story at all. Satan and all his minions could not keep Him under. Because He resurrected He not only bought us back into freedom, He abolished slavery forever.

“He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes, we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5

Rejoice this day in your Kinsman Redeemer-The hope of all mankind! The price is completely paid. He lived, He died and most imperatively, He rose.

*If you would like to read an in depth essay on the Law of the Kinsman Redeemer, I loved this site.

Posted in faith | 5 Comments

Spraypaint Has My Heart

Posted on March 29, 2011 by kmurray

I love spray paint! I find spray painting relaxing and its one of the cheapest, easiest ways to revamp just about anything. I once spray painted our crusty old boccie ball set in high-gloss black and put them in a decorative bowl on the coffee table because we were having company and I wanted a little redesign. When my hubby hears about me scheming on another spray painting project, he busies himself doing anything else he can think of. Sweeping the porch again. Re-stacking the papers on his desk again. Cleaning out his ears. Again.

Plus, I love the way spray paint smells! Which, probably explains alot of other things about me. Imagine my elation when I learned (I’m sure late) that there is a type of spray paint that turns just about anything into a chalkboard! Pick your jaw up off your desk. So, here are 2 ideas that I have done using chalkboard spray paint: First, Chalkboard Animals.

Christmas Morning! I love homemade gifts.

I ripped this idea off from Etsy. I saw these as I was browsing for ideas of crafts to make for my kids for Christmas. I made a lot of their gifts this year. We actually had more money to spend on Christmas then we had the previous year, but the trials of the past few years have made spending our usual amount on Christmas less palatable. I wanted Christmas to be more meaningful, so I worked like an Elf on Adderall and made them lots of stuff (I promise I’ll post it all someday.) This was one of the only non-sewing crafts I did. Went to Goodwill and a few antique stores until I found some sturdy vinyl and plastic animals that were nice and smooth, coated them with a few coats of chalkboard paint, and there you have it.

Chalkboard horse, pony, zebra and giraffe. The lighting is very poor in this photo, sorry.

I have to say, these initially faded into the background once the electronic toys and flashy presents arrived from relatives, but most of those are broken now, and my girls play with these nearly
every day. They leave them around the house with messages for each other to find…so sweet.

Since my kids are on spring break this week, I got the itch to do another project, and I found an unused can of Chalkboard paint in the closet that was calling my name. We had a sad little school desk that was a garage sale hand-me-down from our in-laws. It had potential, but was an eyesore. I decided this was exactly the revamp it needed. Now the kids can doodle to their hearts content, or scratch out a math problem during homework time. I can’t even tell you how much I love this stuff! The possibilities are endless! I present to you, the Doodle Desk Redesign:

This is what happens when someone with an ADD brain like mine does a project like this. First, I start. Then, I decide I should do a tutorial of it on my blog. Oops! Should have taken a before picture. Well, I guess a semi-before pic will have to do. The entire desk was the honey color, and was covered in crayon and permanent marker from the previous owner.

U-G-L-Y You ain't got no alibi! You UGLY! But not for long!

All complete and ready for the doodles of young minds!

I couldn't wait! I had to try it out! This is how my girls found it when they came home from their playdate.

Do’s and Don’ts of Spray Paint

Do it outside. This is kind of a “duh” but you know if I didn’t say it…

Don’t hold the can of spray paint too close to what you are painting. It will pool and cause drips. This usually happens to me even though I know better.

Don’t hold the can of spray paint too far away from what you are painting. It wastes lots of paint. It’s a delicate balance this distance thing.

Don’t stop moving the can around while spraying. Remember the drips?

Do use short, quick-moving strokes.

Don’t get into a conversation with your neighbor while you are doing the project and get so distracted that you forget to keep moving your can. More drips.

Don’t run out of spray paint half way through your project and have to take the bus (for the first time in your 30 year life) to the hardware store because your husband has the car and you don’t want to leave the project in the grass in front of your townhouse and get fined by your HOA.

Alright, that is all for tonight! Have you done any projects using chalkboard paint? If so, link them up in the comments! I’d love to see all your creativity!

This half-witted tutorial has been brought to you by:

Posted in Family, parenting, Random | 2 Comments

Before the Lamps Come On

Posted on March 29, 2011 by kmurray

We live in a dangerous world. Whether it’s more dangerous now then it has been in the past is debatable in my mind. I think our perspective on the level of danger in the world is skewed by the speed at which information travels. A child is abducted and we receive an Amber Alert text message within minutes. A tsunami hits, and we see near live footage of the wave hitting the shore 2000 miles across the sea. This world has always been brutal, terrifying, deranged and desperately wicked.

My theory is that the world is no more dangerous today then it ever was. We are just keenly aware of that reality. That being said, I am still uncomfortable sending my kids out to play by themselves.

I’m not sure I’ve ever mentioned that my family lives at a resort. (My kids like to tell people we live at a hotel and they can’t seem to understand why we blush when they mention it.) More specifically, we live in a town home in a complex that is on the resort property. Scottsdale, Arizona is already like a bubble in terms of safety. We have like 1 homicide a year. Our resort is like a bubble within a bubble. Even still, I feel a sense of worry when my kids beg me to let them go to the basketball court, or go feed the ducks, or ride their bikes around the grounds.

I always make them go together. Strength in numbers. They look out for each other. The other rule is that they have to be home before the lamps come on. The resort is lit at night by old fashioned gas lamps (they’re electric.) They work by light sensors. When they come on it means its almost dark.

Today was one of those spring afternoons when you just can’t stay inside. So the girls were allowed to go out until the lamps came on.

Somehow, it seems like the Lord knows that we need to come back to Him before the darkness falls. We need the protection of His fortress, His warm home once dusk starts to bring with it the unknown. If we are to parent our children the way God parents us, we must at times set our worries aside in the interest of allowing our kids to live a great adventure. After all, we have a big God, who has His eyes on them even though they have ventured past the view from our kitchen window. But we also need to remember to urge them to come home before the lamps come on.