Hi! I decided to get back on my autoimmune diet this week and today is my second day of no caffeine and no gluten-free sourdough bread with butter and no lots of other things like cookies. So far, I do not feel very happy about these changes. Anyone else realizing that your eating habits haven’t been that great for the past couple of months? I was given what seemed like special treatment at a car dealership yesterday when I took our van for inspection. I realize in hindsight that they probably thought I was pregnant. I could write a post on this but since it’s a depressing topic, I’m going to talk about bubbles instead.
It’s been ten years since we last made giant bubble wands and in the midst of these seemingly endless days at home for our kids, it seemed like a good time to try again.
I used 1/2″ dowels to make ours. To make a wand, cut a dowel in half and then insert a little screw eye at the end of each half. We made a pilot hole with a thumbtack and then screwed the screw eye in by hand. Next, thread a 36″ length of cotton twine through one eye, string a metal washer, and then thread through the second wand’s eye before tying a knot. You can try longer lengths of twine if you like.
There are lots of different bubble solution recipes out there, and we’ve tried a couple. I’m not sure that one was superior to the other. It’s important to mix the solution in advance and let it sit for at least an hour before using it. Here are a couple of recipes that we have tried:
1. 8 cups water, 1/2 cup Dawn dishwashing liquid, 1 T vegetable glycerin (found it in the skincare section at our local Wegman’s grocery store), and 1 T baking powder. I stirred the baking powder and glycerin into the water first and then added the dish soap.
or
2. Stir 1/2 cup cornstarch into 6 cups water (it doesn’t really dissolve) then add 1/2 cup Dawn dishwashing liquid, 1T glycerin, and 1T baking powder.
If you aren’t up for making a wand, you can buy one along with giant bubble solution on Amazon. (affiliate link)
These wands have kept my kids busy for hours. Let me know if you try this and what bubble solution you think is the best! Making huge bubbles is really fun and kind of addictive!
Kerry says
Thank you for the bubble recipe – we got a kit on Amazon but it didn’t make very good bubbles so I’m going to try your recipe. You are absolutely beautiful. I had a Pregnancy comment before I even was pregnant with my first child. It was… Difficult. Hugs
Helene Cardon says
Ginny, I remember the last time you did giant bubbles, because that’s when I did mine last too, so we have officially been “friends” for over 10 years ! (I refer to you as my “blog-friend from Virginia” and all my family knows who you are.) I hope you are feeling better, I needed to tell you that when I need some inner peace, I come and read your latest posts, they always give me this balance I was looking for.
You convey so much peace, I can relate to so many of your doubts and worries, it really helps to read you and then look at your pictures and guess through the unsaid that our households are probably quite similar in chaos and happiness and worries and forever trying again..
I am fighting myself some feelings of failure lately, wondering what went wrong and I guess it’s mostly lack of patience, I am sure my children are wonderful but all I can see at the moment is everything that is not right… Enough.
I really came to say thank you you, for everything you share here.
Peace
Helene
M moon says
When I was in college I rode my bike everywhere even in winter. One chilly day in the thrift store, me with a sweater over my hoodie my mittens stowed in the front kangaroo pocket of the hoodie. A lady who looked pregnant took me for pregnant. I was really embrassed…,.,
Lana says
We have been on the no fast food diet during quarantine and both of us lost weight. Will we keep this up? Nope. We are ready for those buttery biscuits and coffee for breakfast 2 days a week.
The grandchildren would love to do those big bubbles. Let’s hope they can visit soon so we can make those!
Bobbie Jean says
My doctor once asked if I had wheat belly. After that I noticed abdominal bloat after eating bread so I did some research. I eat very little bread beyond cornbread, and drink turmeric tea. The tea and kombucha have eliminated bloat and increased gut health. The kombucha is a local product from Austin, TX and it’s the best I’ve tried. Our food has been genetically modified to the point of being risks to our health and the planet. We have to grow our own from original/heritage seeds or risk our health. Food is the fuel our bodies need.
Gwen says
Ginny, I feel for you after realizing why they treated you that way. I’ve always battled my weight and now my grey hair doesn’t let anyone think I’m pregnant anymore. Ha! But we all have our battles to work on don’t we. I’ve heard lots of people talk about gaining weight the last 2 months. We all have to do what works for each of us.
I have a funny story. I’ve been working from home and eating salads for lunch. My daughter and her 3 children have been living with us for 4 years. The girls were looking at my salad and also wanted one, so I fixed them salads. I had been telling them that my son and his wife that live in Wisconsin were on the Whole 30 Diet to get healthier. We try not to talk about weight in our house. So we were sitting eating our salads and it was really quiet…then Sydney, the 9 year old piped up. “Grandma, I know why they are on a diet.” I’m thinking in my head, what is she going to say. Sydney said, “they are dieting so they can get healthy and be able to fight off the Corona Virus if they get it.” Cracked me up.
Marlena says
On the looking pregnant front, a “funny” story….
Parishioner after Mass makes several comments about Lucy being tall like us, but I can tell she’s confused that she’s so dark-skinned.
Me: You know she’s adopted, right?
PaM: NO!!!
Me: Yes! 🙂
PaM: But you were pregnant!
PaM: You really looked like you were pregnant last year.
Me: Nope
PaM: Really? You had a belly! (Does the baby bump motion with her hand). You really fooled me!
Me: I guess I did. :-/
Leanne says
I remember when you posted about this years ago! I made them with my boys. We had so much fun. I’ll have to do this again for Chase. He wasn’t born yet and I think he’ll love this.
Ruth Robinson says
Dearest Ginny,
I too in the past have been asked if I was pregnant due to my bloated stomach. It all came to a head this time last year with some serious illness and a cancer scare. God in His mercy used this autoimmune illness I’ve had for years to teach me to be still and know He was God and to stop trying to be Wonder Woman. Over the last year He has led me on a wonderful journey of natural healing and amazing recovery. Gluten and all dairy is out for me as is any processed food and red meat. Even though I had for the last 5 years eaten this way I was still not getting better, but worse. However through His guidance and wisdom He has showed me what to do and it’s been amazing to watch my health – emotionally, physically and spiritually recover. I want to tell you some of the things He has led me too for you to pray over and see if these things too could help with your AI. Diet- no process foods, mainly veggies, some fruit. To begin with I had lots of veggie broths and stews to aid my digestion, now I can eat a lot more raw food. I have gradually been able to add bank in many foods that once made me sick. I took out nightshades, potatoes were causing bloating and simply swapped to sweet potatoes. I chew and chew my food, aiming to turn it into liquid before it hits my stomach. I take 1 tbsp AVC with water before each meal. I also take high strength digestive enzymes at each meal- now only need1. I don’t eat after 8pm, no screens after then. I get up early and walk or sit in the sun as I am able too. There is such healing in the sun, especially in the morning. I have not drank coffee or caffeine for years, but instead lots of herbal teas. I drink a litre of nettle tea every day as I’m low on minerals and add 1 tbsp molasses into my buckwheat porridge for brekkie, again for minerals. I make sure each day I have some time to myself, God has stopped all my negative thinking, I never criticise myself anymore and don’t allow others to ideal negative words over me. I had to tell my husband to stop telling me I always felt sick or ‘there’s always something wrong with you’. Words create life or death. I declare scripture over myself that God gave to me. ‘Beloved may you prosper in all you do, may your soul prosper and be in health’. As a family we do communion together regularly and that has been so healing for all of us. Upon waking I oil pull with sesame oil for 15 mins to remove fat soluble toxins, and then have warm water m, ACV and 1 tsp pink salt, maybe 2 or 3 cups depending how I feel. A major part of my recovery has been using coffee enemas around 3x a week. Really felt the Lord lead me to that and it was weird at first but now I love that time and really look forward to just chilling in the bathroom. I always do a double one and have cleared myself of so much I had no idea what was living/rotting inside of me. I have found beautifully that the more I purify my body (enemas being vital to this process) the more spiritually pure I am. I’m hearing God so profoundly and feeling more and more close to Him, as if I’m coming alive both physically and spiritually. Just to put this in context I have three young children, two of which have additional needs and I work so I’m pretty busy, however God has given me the time to do all this so that it has become part of my life. Isn’t healing tools evolve and change as I am getting better. I tell you all this in detail, because although I don’t know you and will never meet you I love you as a sister in Christ and I feel His great love for you and that just as He has done this for me He too can lead you in a path of healing. Satan wants to rob us of our health, it’s very difficult to do anything when you don’t feel well, but we can with the Lord’s wisdom and strength take back control of the health of our body and spirit so that we can be all the Father wants us to be. I love you and I will pray for you. I hope this message resonates with you. Much love from across the pond Ruth xxx
Chiara says
I gained way too much kilos from rhe end of february when we started to quarantine here in Italy and this is having an impact on my fertility and, of course, belly. I started yesterday, with a low impact diet and some mild exercise -a part from walking, because i used to walk a lot and i begun again-. After your post, i think i am more prone to dive in the diet -mediterranean type- more seriously. Thanks for the bubble idea, we’ll have them for my daughter birthday party at the park!
Elizabeth says
God bless you! I hope the diet helps and that God will give you the comfort and strength needed… sending love to you!
dorinalouise says
Yup . . been eating a lot of pie and coffee cake and cookies these past two months . . definitely feeling it, and should probably make some changes now too.
Melissa Nichols says
We’ll be making these, thank you! Ikwym about the other things, I agree, bubble talk it is.
Clarissa Webster says
I actually really appreciate you talking about this because I am at a crossroads with my diet too. My son’s health needs tending, & I know that I also have some issues & both of us would likely benefit from the auto-immune paleo diet for a while. But…I am really sad at the idea of giving up sourdough & yogurt & wine…& also not being able to fully join in during celebrations & feasts. Sigh. What you said here is prompting me to push through my reluctance, though. Thanks for sharing what you’re going through…& I hope it gets easier for you soon!
Nicole Spring says
Can I just say I hear you?! I absolutely look pregnant right now thanks to my infertility depression weight gain. Ironic, right? Talk about adding insult to injury! Yikes!!