A bat in the house!

What happens when you walk into your house and discover a bat hanging in your kitchen? 

My husband and I returned home on Monday from a 5-day getaway to our favorite little cottage. The Willow House Cottage Suite is located in Latrobe and is the perfect spot to unwind. It took me a couple of days to shed work responsibilities and finally relax, but once I did, it was delightful. I really hated leaving and coming back home.

The cats were happy to see us as we arrived. After some serious kitty time, we started unloading the car. I was heading into the kitchen to start unpacking the cooler and stopped when I saw my husband frozen in place, staring at something.

"What is that?" He pointed to the black curtain at the top of the basement steps. 

"It's a bat," I said. 

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Bill. It's a bat."

The brown critter was hanging upside down on the curtain. 

"What are we going to do?" His voice trembled... just a bit.

I assured him, "I'll take care of it." And I did.

A few years ago, we discovered a bat flying around our basement. It was a cold February day. I have no idea what it was doing there or for how long. Fortunately, it landed above a door in the basement, allowing me to capture it fairly easily. I told my husband to go upstairs and bring me a flat cookie sheet. He obeyed. I think he was just relieved that I was willing to tackle the problem.

Holding a clear plastic container in one hand, I carefully slipped the cookie sheet behind the bat and covered it with the container. Captured! I carried the intruder outside and released it, much to its chagrin. The bat spread its wings in the yard near the melting snow and hissed at me. The sun was blindingly bright against the white canvas. After a few minutes, the bat took flight and disappeared. 

On Monday night, I used the same technique, although this time I used a sieve with a long handle. I wasn't sure I'd be successful because of the bat's location -- it was hanging on a curtain, which didn't give me the solid background I feared I'd need to keep the mammal flat against the metal sheet. I was pretty sure it would escape and take an aerial tour of my house. That was something I wasn't looking forward to.

Cautiously, I slipped the cookie sheet behind the bat as I covered it with the sieve. The docile creature submitted to my attempt and I carried it outside ensconced between the two. Bill didn't want me releasing it from the patio, but since I was barefoot, he had to be the one to carry it back to the woods. He crossed the yard, carefully laid the cookie sheet down, and slowly, from as much distance as possible, lifted the sieve. 

I have no idea how long the bat stayed there. I just know I had too much to do to stand there and watch. A bit later, it was gone.

Why am I telling you all of this? Quite simply because I wanted you to know what to do if you find yourself at home with a bat. As long as the bat is perched somewhere, grab a cookie sheet and a sieve and your problem's solved. It's a humane solution after all. And you know, #kindnessmatters!

File this under "Best tips from Green Grandma" or "Tips from Green Grandma I'm never doing!"

Wrapping Up Summer with a Fabulous Upcycled Jewelry Giveaway!

The Wrapping Up Summer Giveaway Hop is hosted by MamatheFox.com

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. I received products and/or compensation in exchange for my honest review.

I admit it -- I love jewelry. And there are a few things that make me love certain jewelry more than others:

• Jewelry that's gifted to me. There's just something special about jewelry that has been carefully selected just for me.
• Jewelry with a history. Before my mom died, she gave me the platinum eternity band she always wore. It was given to her by my dad's mom, but it wasn't her ring. We suspect it was my grandfather's late wife's wedding ring. She died in childbirth (as did the child) and he later married my grandmother. My mom wore the ring for so many years that it reshaped into an oval instead of a circle. I treasure this ring. I also have a 3-diamond ring that was my aunt Helen's. She received it on her 16th birthday in 1933 and gave it to me when I was in my 20s. There are other family heirlooms that I cherish.
• Fair trade jewelry that, when purchased, helps someone provide for their family. What can be better than that? I love buying my fair trade jewelry at The Shepherd's Door in Bellevue, PA, right down the street from where I now work.
• Upcycled jewelry, crafted from recycled materials. 

It's the latter I want to tell you about today. I discovered some amazing jewelry and accessories designed by Laura ZABO and I'm so excited to introduce you to them. 

The Gator Gray Bicycle Tire Belt

Laura creates beautiful items from used tires. I received a sturdy belt from her. It was made from a bicycle tire. Not taking my weight loss into account, I ordered a belt that was simply too big for me. But altering it was fairly easy. My husband just used scissors to clip a couple of inches off the end and a drill of some kind to poke an extra hole or two. It was a bit more difficult that using an ice pick on leather, but it worked and I love my belt.

Okay, so that's the belt. Let's get back to the jewelry. Laura sent me a pair of earrings that I absolutely adore! Strips from upcycled black inner tubes strung onto hoop earrings adorned with tiny beads. Oh yeah.

Upcycled Inner Tube Earrings

You know you want some of these, right? They're flirty and fringed and fabulous. I love the way they feel brushing against my collarbone. And to be honest, they make me forget I'm 60! Almost.

Laura ZABO is a London-based eco-designer who creates environmentally-friendly, vegan fashion accessories made entirely out of scrap bicycle tires and inner tubes rescued from a future in the landfill.

"Drawing on my own life experiences and lifestyle choices I have created an innovative and diverse range of belts, jewelry, handbags, clothing, sandals, guitar straps, home decor, and dog accessories," explains Laura. "The collection is constantly growing. As we use more and more bicycles every day, in turn we are using more and more tires every day, creating an increasing amount of waste to pollute our planet with. My collection offers a great solution to this problem, transforming this "waste" into something useful and sustainable."

You can see for yourself how unique and stunning her collection truly is by visiting her website.

Now here's the part you're really going to get excited about -- Laura is offering a set of upcycled jewelry valued at $81 USD to someone in the GG community! How cool is that?! Just enter below on the Rafflecopter and a winner will be chosen via Random.org on September 1st. How's that for a great way to celebrate the new school year? Keep it for yourself or share it with your teenager, who is sure to make an impression wearing these! 

Curlywurly Upcycled Inner Tube Necklace, Earrings, and Bracelet Set

Giveaway is open to 18+ Worldwide! Good luck!



a Rafflecopter giveaway 

MamatheFox and all participating blogs are not held responsible for sponsors who fail to fulfill their prize obligations.

The Road Less Traveled -- Taking the time to get to know each other, despite our differences

I don't know about you, but I'm tired of the battle that goes on between people just because they are different. I'm heartsick over the events in Charlottesville this past weekend. I can't even wrap my head around the mentality and the evil demonstrated there.

This past June, I was on the faculty for St. David's Christian Writers Conference at Grove City College. While there, I met a lovely young woman who wrote the following essay about being "different." Sierra graciously agreed to let me share it here on the blog.

The Road Less Traveled

We all have differences. Mine comes with four wheels and a sunroof. But it’s not a MINI Cooper or a Mercedes Benz. It’s a power wheelchair.

During my high school years, I learned that there were two possible roads people could take when dealing with this obvious difference. I was either a target of bullying or I was someone worth getting to know.

The second road was the road less traveled. Why? Because it took more effort. It was easier for my peers to single me out and attempt to make me feel bad about myself, than it was for them to deal with the discomfort they felt when confronted with an evident difference. It required more time and thought to hold a conversation with me than it did to call me names or kick the wheels of my chair.

I’m not the only person with a visible difference and I wasn’t the first, nor was I the last to be a victim of bullying. A short while ago, I read a news story about an 11-year-old girl who hung herself because of bullying.

But adults are not immune to bullying either. If the road less traveled were taken more often, we’d realize that we have more in common than not, and the world would be a much better place. However, in order for this road to become more traveled, we must set an example. So you’ll find me and my difference rolling down the road less traveled.

* * *

Sierra is a freelance editor, writer, and blogger. Her personal writing tends to be informed by her Christian faith and living life with Cerebral Palsy. She has a B.A. in Biblical and Religious Studies and an M.A. in Communication concentrating in professional writing. When she's not editing, writing or blogging, she enjoys spending time with her family, watching Pittsburgh Steelers football, and reading. You can find her at www.sierrashipton.com and www.facebook.com/writingonwheels. 

TGIVF! Another set of vinegar tips

It's Vinegar Friday once again. How did that happen. It really seems like just two weeks ago I was writing about vinegar and the beach. Wow the months go quickly! To think I used to have the time to write this feature weekly! That seems like a lifetime ago.

But enough about my perception of time. You're here for a vinegar tip or two, right?

So here are some my favorites from my book:

• I realize that not everyone can afford to buy organic sheets for their family. That's why this tip is so important! Chances are good that your sheets are coated in chemicals, such as formaldehyde to keep the sheets from wrinkling. Make sure you toss all new linens in a rinse cycle (at the very least) with a cup of DWV (distilled white vinegar). This will help eliminate the chemical residue. To be safe, rinse and repeat! Maybe a few times. Then, make sure you don't toss the clean laundry into the dryer with some toxic dryer sheets! Yikes!!
• With the election behind us (and that's all I'll say about it), it might be time to remove those candidate support bumper stickers. Even if you didn't put any on your car, imagine the embarrassment of buying a used car that touts support of a candidate you weren't/aren't particularly fond of. Am I putting that too mildly? Don't despair! Just grab your DWV and drench a cloth in it. Cover the sticker for a couple of hours. It should peel right off.
• Do you suffer from acid reflux? I took Nexium for an ulcer for years until I learned this trick. But wait. I hear your protests. You're not going to suggest taking something acidy like apple cider vinegar when your stomach is already burning up? Why yes, yes I am. The unfortunate fact is hydrochloric acid backs up into the esophagus from the stomach and the traditional approach to dealing with this condition is to take acid reducing drugs. That's especially bad news for pregnant woman. However, I found that taking a tablespoon of organic raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar with 8 - 10 oz. of water worked for me. This is a safe alternative to taking prescription or OTC meds for many. While we assume that it's an excess of stomach acid that causes acid reflux, the reality is it is a lack of acid in the stomach, which results in a fermentation of undigested foods. By adding some ACV, you help to cleanse your system and prevent the heartburn and pain. Please note, I am not a medical professional. The upswing of that is that there are no insurance companies dictating what I say or do and no pharmaceutical companies padding my pockets. 
• Ever have a sprain or strained muscle? Soak a cloth in some warm ACV, wring it out, and wrap it around the injured area. Leave it on for 3 - 5 minutes and repeat as needed. Adding a dash of cayenne pepper to the vinegar will bump up the relief a notch or two. NOTE: Do not do this to broken skin!! OUCH!!

Those are my tips for the month. I hope you found you found something useful that will help you live a more toxin-free life.

Keeping it green and healthy with vinegar,