Spring Cleaning: The Non-Toxic, Cheap, Easy Way

Tags

adhd, allergies, asthma, autism, get clean, spring clean

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A friend recently asked me how I have time to clean my house when I homeschool a second-grader and a toddler entering the terrible twos.

 

The answer?

I don’t have time to clean.  I DO NOT LIKE cleaning.  But I have learned to make time.

This past school year has been a roller coaster of schedule changes.

1. The first quarter I literally did not know how to clean because I was so overwhelmed by so much.

2. The second and third quarters, I decided that we would clean during the mornings and then I would teach my daughter during my son’s nap time.  This worked okay for me.  Except we couldn’t be consistent with keeping the house cleaned AFTER school.  Which means, this method was not really working for anybody.

3. The fourth quarter (now), we have decided we are going to have a better bedtime and wake up schedule in this house.

We have been waking up and getting ready for the day, and reading our devotions during breakfast.  Then school begins and is over before 11:30 a.m.  Lunch is at 11:30 a.m.  Any remaining school is finished.  By 12:30 p.m. we are done and ready for cleaning.   Nap time for the Mister is around 1:30-2.  During his nap, Mommy and daughter time commences along with any other things we need to pick up.  Snacks.  Dinner.  Baths. Bed.

If you know me, you know that cleaning is a constant struggle for me.  That’s why I was delighted to find Shaklee’s GET CLEAN line in 2010.  I was overcoming extreme fatigue at the time.  How would I clean when I was so tired?  When I finally got to cleaning, my lungs would react horribly to the fumes while cleaning my shower.  I had to literally wear a face mask just to do the job.  Since using the entire GET CLEAN line, I can even feel comfortable having my toddler help me with the laundry and dust my counters.  I love the fact that stains from blood, to grape juice, to grass – all come out of our clothes with minimal effort.  I love that I can get mildew off my shower without holding my breath with Basic-G and that Basic-H does everything else from cleaning my vegetables, to getting silly putty out of kids clothes, to cleaning my counters…. and I’ve had the SAME 16oz. bottle for 4 YEARS!!!!  FOUR YEARS!  That part seals the deal for me, not to mention it would take $3,400 to get the same clean from other products that make my lungs feel like they’re crumbling.  Or the thought of how many bottles I would be wasting.  Or, more importantly, my time being wasted just going down the cleaning aisle of the store to replace a bottle.  When, at home, I just make a new bottle whenever I need it.

I was also amazed by how many kids are affected in our schools by these cleaners constantly around them.  So many cleaners today are directly related to allergies, asthma, autism, ADHD, and more.  

Shocking too, was the fact that stay-at-home-moms were the most likely to develop cancers due to the fact of toxic cleaner usage alone.

Please leave a comment and tell me how cleaners have affected you.  I am so accustomed to green cleaning now, my nose will detect Windex from the other side of the room and make me cough.  I am constantly changing how I clean my house, but am thankful I can always rely on Shaklee.

 

6 Tips for Weaning Your Toddler Gently & Meal Supplements for All Ages

Tags

babies, breastfeeding, nursing, toddler, weaning

Last week, I shared our family nightmare story how our Disney vacation was pretty much not what we intended and how I relied on my natural medicine cabinet to get us through.  Unfortunately, the severity of my symptoms combined with the fact that I was determined not to have what was in my chest, move to my head, convinced me that I had to also resort to a Mucinex tablet.  Ugh.  I was bummed.

Ironically, I was praying and wondering about when would be the right time to remove my 21-month old toddler from his last weaning.  I just didn’t think it would be during vacation.  At least not the way it did.  There were a few nights in the month where he had gone to sleep without nursing.  So I knew the time was coming near.  I realized that there was really not much of a nutritional benefit for him to keep nursing, he just depended on the time to get drowsy.

Being sick in a hotel was not the time I was thinking about completely ending our nighttime routine.  I was sad because he was sick too… and wanted his only nursing to help him get better.  The more I thought about it though, the more I realized that I would be suffering and would delay my recovery.  Sigh, if mom is not well – it delays the recovery of everyone else too.  What a vicious cycle.

So I felt I had no choice.  This it how it went.

On the first night, I nursed him for 3-5 minutes when I was due for my next Mucinex dose.  By the second night, I found that the same instrumental music that helps my 7-year-old to sleep, might soothe him, if I bounced him on the bed.  (This is dreamy music folks, and a lot of it is in Latin.  Ties in well with the Latin with our Classical Conversations community, but anyone would love it.)  Surprising though, was that not only did he like the music – he was SINGING along with me in his Latin toddler mumble until he drifted off to sleep!  It was BETTER than nursing!  He even slept all night long in the hotel without waking up… something he doesn’t do at home.

If you are having difficulty weaning your baby, don’t panic.  I had never planned to nurse this child past 13 months.  With my daughter, I planned to nurse through one year old and succeeded in going to 13 months.  However, my son LOVED nursing.  I didn’t mind because he is my last baby.  But by the time he turned 18 months, with no signs of him weaning… I started to freak out.  Family started questioning why I was still nursing, which didn’t bother me.  But when I could feel the health of my thyroid begin to suffer, I knew.  It was time.

If you are wondering how to begin weaning your baby/toddler, here are…

My Top 6 Tips:

1. Understand there is no rush.  Your toddler won’t be nursing until college.  Just like you knew that nursing was the best source of nutrition for your child, you’ll know when to stop. Don’t feel pressured by family who do not understand your extended nursing.  It is perfectly normal to nurse into toddlerhood.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO):

Breastfeeding is one of the most effective ways to ensure child health and survival.  If every child was breastfed within an hour of birth, given only breast milk for their first six months of life, and continued breastfeeding up to the age of two years, about 800,000 child lives would be saved every year.

2.  To Wait or Not to Wait.  Deciding when to start weaning can be tough.  Until your family schedule is free from major trips, holidays – anything that is stressful in your life – wait – so that you can be consistent with your decision to wean.  For me, I would find that if something stressful was happening in the week and my son’s very loud cry increased my stress, that I would cave in and nurse him just to make life calm for me.  Due to my son’s overpowering personality, I knew I had to be ready to get my game on and be ready to stick to my guns no matter how he acted.

On the other hand, perhaps you have a child who is so easily distracted that a weekend away may make the whole process easier and quicker for you.

You will know what is best for the personalities of you and your child.  One sign my son gave me was that he was able to point to himself and say his name.  And then point to me and say, “Mommy.”  This showed me he understood we are two separate beings.  He is not another part of my body.  He is his own person.  He is a big boy.

3.  Take One Feeding out at a time... even if it is over a period of months.  I recall that around April 2013, when my son turned one, I was still at five feedings a day: Waking, Morning Nap, Afternoon nap, Bedtime, and Middle of the Night feedings.  I actually thought he wouldn’t notice if I just cut out the first three and just kept bedtime.  Oh boy.  He was not happy.  Neither was… *ahem*, my body.  We naturally moved to three feedings after his morning nap phased out.  How to cut the others was harder for me.

4.  Replace missing feeding with a Shaklee Meal Shake or a Shaklee Life Shake.

I realized the main reason why I was having a difficult time was that I didn’t know WHAT I would use to replace my son’s nursings.  I found out that my daughter was lactose intolerant when she was 2.5 years old.  I did not want to even try to wean him with cow’s milk.  I was able to get him to like Almond Milk if I flavored it with vanilla extract.  But I was bummed that the Almond Milk was nowhere near the calories for the amount of breastmilk he had at a feeding.  There was no way I wanted to use formula from the stores.  The amount of protein they offered was laughable. It was also unlikely he would take to it because breastmilk is so sweet.

It then dawned on me.  The Shaklee Meal Shake would be a great replacement (please also see below about other options as well)!  Coming in Vanilla and Cocoa flavors, they are whey protein and no artificial anything and Gluten Free.  They are as yummy as a McDonald’s milkshake.  And it offers 19 essential vitamins and minerals and 7 grams of protein.

I tried it the next day with his almond milk.  My son LOVED IT!  I then immediately tried having him drink one before his afternoon nap and just sing him to sleep.  Bingo!  It worked!

Now is a great time to try.  Any 50 PV purchase made with The Whole Deel gets FREE lifetime membership pricing AND will receive a FREE canister of the Cafe Latte Life Shake listed below.  Offer has been extended to March 31st, 2014.

5.  Set a schedule.

I was down to three feedings by December.   Waking, Bedtime, and Middle of the Night.  His sleeping patterns were horrible and he wasn’t eating well during the day.  I suddenly realized that this was because he was eating all night long,  so of course he wasn’t hungry during the day!  Middle of the Night feedings were the next to go.  (Stay tuned for this description when I post about overcoming poor sleep habits).

Setting a schedule seemed the best way to cut his middle of the night cravings and prepared for my next elimination:  waking.  If he went to bed no later than 8pm, then he would do better lasting through the night until breakfast.  If he woke up at the same time every morning, he would eat a better breakfast and forget about wanting to nurse.  You may choose to cut bedtime first.  It all depends on your child.

6. Distraction

It took about a week for him to accept no more nursings upon waking.  How I did it was I immediately told him it was time to eat as I changed his morning diaper.  I made him breakfast immediately and he ate an entire egg he was so hungry!  Wow.  Another sign to me that he was ready for this.  So encouraging for a mom.  If he did show signs of wanting to nurse, I would just distract him to look at toys.  Or tell him, “Milk all gone!”

This tactic I also had to use when we cut out our final bedtime weaning.  I explained to him that Mommy had a “boo boo” while pointing to my chest.  He seemed to understand.  As mentioned earlier, music is also a great distraction – especially at bedtime.

My kids love all four flavors of the Shaklee 180 protein.  And it’s great even for kids because it signals their body to build and retain lean muscle.

YOU DID IT!

Now that your baby is weaned, it wasn’t that bad, was it?  Please tell me your stories. If you are confused at the order of my eliminations, I listed clearly at the end of this post.  I am happy to have more energy and feel I can be consistent again in the rest of my life.

ALTERNATIVE MEAL REPLACEMENTS:

We have loved the Meal Shakes by Shaklee to transition from breastmilk.  However, currently, we are transitioning to the Shaklee 180 Smoothees because of their higher protein content and the complete 9 amino acids that our bodies need.  My kids like both the Soy and the Whey.

Soy is a controversial topic.  I am one to agree not to buy soy unless it is completely pure.  It comes in Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry, and Caffe Latte.  Also available this season are Vanilla Chai and Mango.  With Shaklee, you can be 100% sure the soy is safe.  It offers:

• 24 grams of hunger fighting protein
• 6 grams of fiber
• Powered by Leucine^TM
• 23 vitamins and minerals
• Non-GMO soy protein
• Low glycemic. GI Value: 37
• No artificial flavors, sweeteners, or preservatives added
• Gluten free, lactose free

Note: Although this is in Shaklee Weight Management line, there is no need to fear for kids! It is all natural and the main reason it helps you to lose weight is because when you have more lean muscle, your metabolism works better! So if there is no fat to burn, you will just maintain lean muscle. My kids are strong and healthy and this is in no way a “weight loss” or management shake for them, but more of a way to get a high protein and fiber in them that is helping them build muscle – even at a young age!

The Whey Smoothee offers:

• 24 grams of hunger fighting protein
• 5 grams of fiber
• Powered by Leucine^TM
• 23 vitamins and minerals
• Soy-free, for those who are sensitive to soy
• Low glycemic. GI Value: 32
• No artificial flavors, colors, sweeteners, or preservatives added
• Gluten free, 99% lactose free.

RECAP of the order of my Feeding Eliminations (Yours may differ):

1. Naps.

2. Middle of the Night.

3. Morning.

4. Bedtime.

 

My Natural Medicine Cabinet

Tags

healing, Natural medicine cabinet, shaklee

Previously, I discussed that our family’s only chance of overcoming sickness quickly on our vaction in Florida, was my natural medicine cabinet that I brought with us.  Below are the products that I am thankful were packed in my travel bag for both adults and children. A little homeopathy also helped us recover and is listed below with an (*).  I will be real folks, that this illness was so bad I even resorted to taking Mucinex along with below arsenal. Usually at home, I would have had my entire get better center.   I was afraid we would miss our flight home if I didn’t do something available at drugstore too.

Adults:

Vita-Lea with Iron: Instead of Centrum or Costco brands

This multi-vitamin is an activator of new cells (it is included in the Vitalizer 30 day supply pack, but you can buy it individually as well). It is whole, concentrated food grown organically. It is proven to increase bone density. Has no added preservatives, artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners. 100% of RDA of biotin.  Makes protein more

 

efficient with 29 vitamins and minerals to activate body cells to rebuild and be strong and healthy.

Garlic: (Instead of Sudafed)

• I’m not talking about the garlic you find at your local grocery store.  Not only is it powerful, but is so warming on your chest when swallowed because of the spearmint oil and rosemary extract it contains.  I can’t live without this if I feel I’m getting sick in the least, and especially – as was the case for us – if a cough is coming on.
• Did you know that garlic is sometimes referred to as “Nature’s Wonder Drug?” It is a powerful antibiotic that fights off bacteria, parasites, fungi, and viruses.  Studies have even shown it is more effective than penicillin in some cases.  It offers aid as a decongestant and expectorant and as an anti-diarrheal.

Instead of Airborne, Cold Eeze 

• Active Ingredients:  Echinacea to take care of bacteria and Larch tree extract to attack viruses
• Use as a preventative when flying or in large gatherings of people during cold and flu season or anytime you come in contact with allergy activators

Sustained Release Vita-C:

Shaklee Sustained Release Vitamin C has a patented release system on it so that it releases C slowly over a period of 6 hours so that your body can absorb and utilize all of it.  In other words, it is like eating 1 1/2 oranges every hour for 6 hours!!!  That is some good immune boosting!!

You can get the Sustained Release Vitamin C individually (I have a bottle on hand at all times).  I just learned that whenever sickness is coming on, taking 2 every 2 hours till it passes, will quickly heal.  Or you can also get it in a foundational nutrition pack that is a 30 day supply of all the Vitamins and Minerals you need called Vitalizer.  There is Vitalizer for men, women, and 50+.

Children:

Incredivites: 

Shakleekids Incredivites™ is the first kids’ chewable multivitamin in the U.S. to feature lactoferrin, a scientifically backed, immune-supporting nutrient present in breast milk and researched for its role in activating components of the immune system. (Stay tuned for more on this amazing nutrient and how studies are revealing more about the benefits of lactoferrin for adults too!)

Chewable Vita-C:

Both my 1-year-old and my 7-year-old take these Chewable Vita-C. We love them!

• • Important Note:  Vitamin C cannot be made or stored by the body.  It is a water soluble vitamin, which means you need to get it every day and in the right amount.  A cheap vitamin brand will boast of large quantities of vitamin C per tablet, but the problem is that your body can only absorb so much C at a time (you can “train” it to absorb more and more at a time the longer you take it).  This means that when you take these type of vitamins, you are getting a little of the C, but the rest is passing right through, unabsorbed.  So basically you are paying for really expensive urine!

Adults and Children:

Defend and Resist: Instead of Airborne, Cold-Eeze

• Every person in my family took this from my 1-year old to my husband.  Great for that first tickle.  Elderberry and zinc are both present to knock the germs out.
• Active Ingredients:  Echinacea to take care of bacteria and Larch tree extract to attack viruses.
• Use as a preventative when flying or in large gatherings of people during cold and flu season or anytime you come in contact with allergy activators.

Zinc: Instead of Cold-Eeze

• For most of my life in the winter, I had woken up every morning with a sore throat, as a result of congestion.  However, I learned how to eliminate this and nearly the ability to avoid sickness by simply crushing up the zinc tablet and placing it in a spoonful of honey every night before I go to bed.  The tablet is easily swallowed whole, however I have found that the crushed up version leaves a thin coating of protection on my throat so that I wake up without any sore throat or drainage problems at all.

• Zinc is involved in the production of every hormone in the body.  This is another reason why I take zinc every night.  It aids the body in fighting auto-immune disorders, such as my underactive thryoid disease, Hashimoto’s.

Vita-D3 – Instead of Costco or Walmart Vitamin D

• Study after study has shown that Vitamin D is not only necessary, but it only works at its optimum when presented as cholicalciferol, as Shaklee does.  My own testimony with Vitamin D is that I took the Costco brand and was finding no improvement in my bloodwork to move to the normal range.  Within 2 weeks on Shaklee Vita-D3, my numbers moved to normal.
• Further studies have shown that Vita-D3 also plays a role preventing the flu and may be as effective as receiving a flu vaccine.
• Children may also take this by simply smashing it into a powder and put in applesauce.

*Homeopathy also helped us recover.  For a sore throat where the pain is felt in the ears, Boiron’s Roxalia Tablets help.  For our 1-year-old, I had not packed anything at all and used Hyland’s Baby Cough Syrup. I was very pleased at how it worked.

What is the Shaklee difference?

Here’s a 2-minute video explaining how our products compare:

You can feel comfortable giving these products to your children. Because for over 50 years, generations of families have counted on us to do what no other company can do quite like Shaklee–made products that are naturally safe AND proven effective.

Now, is the BEST time ever to become a Shaklee member!

Any person who joins by February 28th, 2014 with an order of 50 PV or more not only gets their membership fee waived ($19.95 value) but also receives a free can of smoothee ($45 retail value!).

Simply go to my store below:
grasp.thewholedeel.com

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OFFER DETAILS

Offer valid through Feb. 28, 2014. An order with 50 PV (Point Value) must be placed at the time you join. Applies to join orders placed online and at the Shaklee Sales and Training Center in Los Angeles, CA. Join orders placed through the call center. This offer is not retroactive. Free product available while supplies last. Free product subject to change without notice.

 

Protein and Preventing Heart Disease (and how to make Almond Milk!)

Tags

almond milk, cardiovascular disease, heart disease, money-saver, smoothee

Yesterday, I posted on the many ways we can maintain a healthy lifestyle to prevent Heart Disease.  However, there is a little extra secret not many people know about – studies have shown that soy protein is involved in preventing heart disease.

Susan Potter, Ph.D at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign found in her testing various soy products, that isolated soy protein worked best.  Her results showed that there was a 12 percent drop in total cholesterol and an 11.5 percent drop in the “bad cholesterol” (LDL).  Researchers then concluded:

The fact that a significant reduction was obtained by consuming only 50 grams a day of soy protein sets a practical and achievable goal that would be beneficial in the treatment of high blood cholesterol and coronary artery disease

Subsequent studies by Dr. Potter’s group further revealed that even 25 grams (approximately 1/2 cup) of soy protein daily “could result in significant reduction of cholesterol levels in those with elevated levels.”  In addition, The New England Journal summarized the findings of 38, well-controlled studies on soy protein and cholesterol.  They saw a nine-percent reduction of total cholesterol and nearly a 13-percent reduction of the bad LDL cholesterol.

Isn’t it refreshing that there can actually be a snack that is GOOD for you?  At the start of 2013, Shaklee launched its latest, greatest tasting soy protein shake.  This yummy drink contains all the 23 amino acids that our bodies need, but often don’t get every day.  Think of Amino Acids as links of protein on a bracelet.  They are all essential for the functions of your body.  Eight of these 23 are called Essential, because your body can not produce them on its own. You have to get them from an outside source.  These 8 are so crucial, because if you don’t get them, your body won’t make the other 15!  Our bodies NEED protein!

Make yourself a shake first thing in the morning, at lunch or for an evening snack.  Shaklee has two types of shakes to choose from: Energizing Soy Protein, or Shaklee Life Shakes.  All Shaklee shakes contain all 23 amino acids.
You might be wondering what is the best way to drink a Smoothee?  Here is a recipe for a “Wow Smoothee:”

Wow Smoothee

1/2 – 1 cup Soy or Almond Milk (I drink Silk Unsweetened Original, but I just found out you can make it yourself!  Recipe below)

1 or 2 scoops of a Shaklee Life Shake (one if having as a snack, two if a meal)

1 cup peach or pear, or 1 apple, cut into pieces (seeds removed)

1 frozen ripe banana

1 1/2 cups frozen broccoli (or kale or spinach)

Sprinkle of flax or chia seeds

Place all ingredients in a blender in the order listed, and mix until creamy.  Tip:  Serve to kids in a colored cup so they won’t be scared by the green!  The riper the banana, the more the broccoli taste is canceled.

DIY Almond Milk

This is a complete money saver and so easy!  I found this courtesy of Every Day with Rachael Ray Magazine.

Serving Size:  4 cups of milk

Step 1  Soak 2 Cups of raw almonds and 5 cups of water in a bowl for at least 2 hours overnight

Step 2 Mix the almonds and water in a blender on high until frothy and smooth, about 5 minutes.  (Sounds like forever, but keep blending!)

Step 3 Line a strainer with 4 layers of cheesecloth; place over a bowl.  Add half of the almond mixture; let sit 10 minutes, then squeeze out the liquid.  Discard the solids.  Repeat with second half.

It tastes great with a Smoothee, it gives me energy, and best of all the price is right.  I used to love going to Jamba Juice when I would visit California and would come back home so sad there was none where I lived.  Now I don’t have to be sad because I can make an even healthier shake for half the price – at home!

 

Tasting Ancient Africa – Classical Conversations Week 13

Tags

africa, bananas, classical conversations, dates, instant soy protein, math, timeline

It’s an exciting time whenever a homeschool project brings together multiple subjects we are studying all into one and uses my daughter’s gift of creativity.  But when all of this happens by ACCIDENT?  Oh my word!  It is an absolute wonderful miracle that only God can be given the credit for!

It all started with a great week back at Classical Conversations as we entered Week 13 and the Age of Exploration.  Two moments in our timeline song include “Slave Trade in Africa” and “Songhai in Africa” – which are two of the most fun parts of the week to sing.  Naturally, then, I decided we would study about Africa in our Story of the World curriculum.  At the end of the lesson were two recipes using ingredients found in Africa – dates and plantains (we used bananas).  I thought to myself… “Do I really want to do this?”  “Will it be a good use of my time if they don’t turn out?”  I debated and debated.  Finally, I decided since we have been memorizing also in Classical Conversations, mathematical measurement conversions used in baking, that we would go ahead and try it.  Something inside me told me I wouldn’t regret it.

Wow!  Was I ever right!  Both recipes were not only delicious, but my daughter and I bonded SO well.  She was intently interested in how many teaspoons were in a tablespoon and in mixing thoroughly every ingredient.  We laughed, we talked about so many topics that we wouldn’t normally have.  It was WONDERFUL.  As we baked, I knew it was moments like these that are why I homeschool.  What time would I have with a baby to do extra baking if she were in school?  How would I ever know ahead of time what she was learning to coordinate our activities at home to reinforce her learning?  I just plain old wouldn’t.  An added element for me as a mom was being able to substitute a third of the flour with Instant Soy Protein so I knew both of these treats were not only healthy with fruits, but also that the carbohydrates were dramatically cut and I know my little sweetie will be growing while enjoying.

It was so nice to serve these to my ladies who gathered at my house later that evening.  Baking, math, Africa, memorizing our Timeline, Science, hearts connecting… does it get any better than this?  I treasure these years dearly.

Here are the Recipes:

Date and Banana Protein Bars:

Ingredients:

*1/4 cup butter

*3/4 cup sugar

*1 egg

*1tsp. vanilla

*2 medium bananas

*2/3 c. flour

*1/3 c. Instant Soy Protein

*1/4 tsp. baking soda

*1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

*1/2 cup chopped dates

*(Optional:  1/4 cup almonds)

Icing:
*2 tablespoons butter

* 1 tablespoon lemon juice

*1/2 teaspoon vanilla

*3/4 c. powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Cream together the butter and sugar.

2. Add the egg and vanilla.

3. Stir in the bananas and dry ingredients

4. Add the dates and almonds.

5. Bake in an 8″ x 8″ pan at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until edges are turning brown.

Date Protein Chewies:

Ingredients:

* 1 c. chopped dates

* 2 eggs

*1 c. sugar

*1/2 c. flour

*1/4 c. Instant Soy Protein

*1 tsp. baking powder

*1 c. pecans, ground

*1/4 c. powdered sugar

Directions:

1. In a blender, blend eggs and dates together.  Set aside.

2. In mixing bowl, combine sugar, flour, baking powder, and pecans.  Add in egg mixture.

3. Pour into ungreased cookie sheets.  Press the mixture down so it will be as thin as possible.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.  Remove from oven and cut into bars while hot.

5. Roll into balls and then roll in the powdered sugar as soon as the chewies are cool enough to handle.

I would love any comments on how you reduce the sugar.  Next time I will try agave syrup and see what happens!  Who knows what other great things will happen because of an accident?