Earlier this month news about teens in Florida and in other states like Arizona having incidents of violence both aggravated and premeditated. These acts of violence according to news coverage present only a small fraction of  the truth about bullying.

Society prefers to turn a blind eye to not appear too fanatic and overprotective over children. We have been numbed by lots of things maybe because we've experienced a lower form of it and have survived.

Turning a blind eye, society has gone into suspended animation the older generation thinking it's not that bad while the kids think our parents did too. The difference of then and now is that parents were less busy, had better means of living and a belief in discipline (the right amount an kind). Kids before had their parents as examples and influence, a bad apple never fell far from a good tree most of the time. Today, we have all these good apples put in a bushel of bad ones and end up with a rotten bunch all together.

Bullying is an act justified by anything under the sun, with only one goal: domination and power to rule. It takes a responsive group of people to fix this. The responsible society is made up of  parents, school, community, county, state, government ans most especially the media, no one's hands go untainted and exempted.

Never did like the Altoids Lemon Wedgie print ad…

When you look at the bagged groceries and the tape receipt is given, you can't help but wonder how  much has gone to several cleansers, toiletries and what was left for food? Add to you food budget by saving on cleansers by using alternatives which can be found in the home.

 I have here tried and tested alternates that can be used for clean ups and the wash. White Vinegar,  aside from giving your cooking strong sour flavor, it can be used for cleaning grime and stains from tiles. Half a cup for every load on a rinse-cycle makes it a hypoallergenic fabric softener. Spraying your kitchen counter can also keep flies away. What I'd do is use a spray bottle for cleaning and put a prepared mixture handy. I also buy a big bottle to make sure there is enough vinegar for both cooking and household use.

Kitchen tile dirt and stains may be tougher, so I use Borax and baking soda paste to throughly clean even tile grout (¼ Borax+ ½ baking soda + 1 tbsp. warm water). Borax can also be used on the walls even if it is painted or papered, just mix 1/3 cup of it with 1 gallon of warm water. The mixture cleans away the dust that has stuck on your walls, leaving a brighter surface. Regular wall cleaning prolongs your wall's color, saving you the trouble of having to re-paint under 5 years.

A home is not complete without nice wooden furniture or chairs or even a fine dish cabinet. Cleaning the surface with a damp cloth would only leave a dry whitish film in time. To preserve its natural appearance, use mineral oil to keep it shiny, you can also add a drop of lemon juice for a fresh scent and a brighter surface. I would also use toothpaste to remove water droplets that have discolored the finish. The stains get off after vigorous rubbing, make sure not to use your nail to it though.

The quest for a more natural way to clean house not only saves you money, it's also your part to preserve the environment. You don't have to be sign holding fanatics to be wanting for a greener world, do you?