Outdated Technology and How to Remove a Rat Infestation!

I recently posted about my cell phone being soaked in the toilet by my son, and I was able to save my ever so amazing phone here: http://www.funkyfrugalmommy.com/2014/08/wet-cell-phone-fix.html  As you can see I do not have a smartphone and am quite happy with that, it takes great pictures and that's what I use for photos on my blog. 

I recently got informed by Bell mobility that I am being forced to upgrade to a smartphone! Apparently if you do not have a smartphone you can no longer send or receive picture messages and could soon see a disruption in other services!?! I just called them the other day to find out why my messages weren't going through and got informed of this terrible news. I was told to go buy myself a nice new smartphone. As you can imagine I was not impressed, I like my cheap little phone it is sturdy and only cost me $15 a month for unlimited text and picture messaging. Now I need to go out and spend over $100 on a new phone and an expensive plan to keep up with technology. 

So my rat post is late because my only camera that I had all my pictures on for this post was my phone and I can't send them to my email. So after being angry I figured out a way to get it done so here we go!

Rat Infestation Solutions!

Oh rats! I have a hatred for rats that has grown since I got my birds (chickens & ducks) especially after reading about people waking up in the morning to find their beautiful chickens eaten and dead because of rats. Not to mention the fact that dirty rats ruin over $19 billion worth of food and goods in the U.S. as well as destroy hundreds of crops every year causing hardship for the hard working farmers. Rats need to be kept in line and there is a wide array of solutions available. I have done quite a bit of research on the topic to rid myself of the rats and here is what I have come up with. *I have included links where you can purchase the items on Amazon to save you time searching.*

Why rats are bad for your chickens: 
http://www.thepoultrysite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4836 

http://www.mypetchicken.com/backyard-chickens/chicken-help/What-do-I-need-to-know-about-rats-if-I-keep-H177.aspx
 
http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/livestock-forums/poultry/311071-rats-getting-chickens.html

And a sick story of a rat attack on a baby:
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Baby-awaits-surgery-after-rat-attack-20140827

The first method we tried is traps. We had success for about a month and then they got too smart for the traps and are now able to set them off without injury and eat the bait. If you have yet to try them there are a few different kinds:

This one is the one that worked for a while and we used peanut butter and contrary to popular belief yes rats do like cheese and it does work as bait in traps. 

These traps are worthless and haven't caught a single thing and we tried them along with the spring loaded ones above and the rats can set these off easily and eat the bait. They are a waste of money. The only reason I think people buy them is because they are much easier to set with no chance of snapping your finger inside.

These are much more humane and you can trap them and relocate as you please but this is not really solving your problem in any way. 

 Another interesting way I saw was an electrocution trap.You bait it inside and when a rat steps into the contraption it gets a jolt of electricity and the deed is done. These are quite pricey and may or may not work for you.

The second method of course is poison and there is a million different options but a lot of them are seriously dangerous if you have children, animals, or other innocent bystanders around. Not only will the innocent ones around you be in danger of these poisons but you can also harm predators of the rats with these poisons. The hawk that eats the rat you poisoned could die from the poison as well, not exactly what the goal is here. 

I have read that vitamin D3 is rat poison and can be found in some poisons and not cause any harm to any animals other then the rat so if this is the route you try look for a safer solution rather then most on the market. 

This one here is supposed to be a safer poison.

I like to shoot air rifles and other fire arms. I am a great shot and it is a great sport. One of the ways I found I can practice my shot as well as get rid of rodents is by pulling out our air rifle and shooting them as they come into our chicken run.  

This is the one I bought on Amazon, an amazing price for an awesome gun!

For all of us frugal people out there who are like me and counting all of the dollars going down the drain with some of these rat solutions I bet you are thinking well what about homemade rat poison? That is where these wonderful ideas come into play. I found some terrific ideas on Wikihow and I hope you like them. http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Rat-Poison 

And last but certainly not least my research has lead me to this fine contraption: http://www.shtfblog.com/how-to-build-best-mouse-rat-trap/ 

This trap looks like a fun experiment so I am making it as we speak, I will let you know how it works. Of course I am not going to eat the disgusting creatures I trap in here like the guy who posted this trap did but if I can help the world get rid of a few more rats I am a happy camper! 

Remember that by trapping rats it is one way to rid yourself of these pests but always be sure not to lure them to your domain by leaving trash out, feed uncovered, or food in places that attracts them. Much like any other disgusting plague the first step to getting rid of them is prevention of bringing them around in the first place. Sadly for those of us with farm animals they are just a part of our lives now and we need to get them gone!

Facts about rats, the good and bad.

Everyone needs to know that there are two different kinds of rats. Domestic rats that are raised as pets and wild dirty rats that are nothing more then disease carriers. Domestic rats are loving, gentle, and affectionate where as dirty wild rats want nothing more then to feed on anything and take over the world. The most common mistake that people make when writing about rats is that they really do need to try and separate the two just as they would when they write about dogs and wolves or cougars and cats. 

Lets start with wild rats!

Wild rats are disgusting, they carry diseases like typhus, trichinosis, salmonellosis and rat-bite fever and eat pretty much anything. They urinate everywhere they go because they mark their territory constantly, everywhere a rat steps it's peeing. Rats eat their babies if they feel the need, they feed on other rats that are sick or dying as well as any other animal.

Did you know that rodents destroy around one-fifth of global food supply every year,  causing over $19 billion in damaged goods as well as creating more famine in the world. Rats are able to squeeze themselves into places as small as a quarter, and their bite can penetrate a toenail. Since rats get into food so often, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration actually allows a set amount of rat droppings in commercial food products.

Rats are the largest single group of mammals in the entire animal kingdom because they mate with any other rat, from brother to sister, mother, to son and everything in between. 

Rats are to blame for the Black Death, Bubonic Plague and other notorious plague outbreaks. Infected fleas spread the Yersinia pestis bacterium (a.k.a. plague) to rats, and the rats then passed it along to humans.

Rats' front teeth grow 4½ to 5½ inches each year. Rats wear them down by constantly gnawing on everything in their path, including cement, brick, wood, lead pipes, and other small animals.

Rats reproduce at a dramatic rate and it has been heard of for a rat to have somewhere near 2000 babies within their 5 year life span.

A rat can fall as far as 50 feet without getting hurt. A rat can also survive being flushed down a toilet, they can actually crawl up sewer pipes into houses. 

They make my skin crawl and lately they are invading my town. As soon as the sun goes down the rats begin coming out of the bushes, I do not have any coming into my house because it is sealed shut from top to bottom but they are in my yard and under my shed. 

Here is a nasty article about a baby being eaten by rats http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Baby-awaits-surgery-after-rat-attack-20140827

Now let's talk about domestic rats.

Domestic rats make great pets, they actually want to spend time with you. Rats have very sensitive tummies and whiskers and love to be pet on the head as well as from the head to the middle of the back the tail area can be very sensitive.

Rats can sense electromagnetic fields, the more technology surrounding your pet rat can be hazardous to its health, and general mood. 

Rats can sense your mood, they can feel whether your happy or sad and it is best to handle your pet when your in a good mood. 

Rats have poor eye sight especially ones with pink eyes. 

It is physically impossible for a rat to throw up. 

Rats do much better accompanied with other rats. They love each others company and males are usually not aggressive to one another of they are raised together. 

Rats are the smartest rodent next to ferrets. They can figure out mazes, walk tight ropes, sit, fetch, lay down, roll over, and much more. They are smart enough to play tug of war and even hide and seek. 

It is very important to keep a clean cage so your rat doesn't die from respiratory problems caused by the ammonia found in urine. 

There is an excellent resource about pet rats here: http://www.petrats.org/care_sheet.aspx

Feel free to leave any facts you have about rats in the comments below, and join me tomorrow when I discuss options for removing wild rat infestation.

Freedom Japanese Market Subscription Box

Taking your taste buds on a foreign culinary adventure is something everyone deserves a chance to do. I have always wondered what kind of snacks people in Japan have eaten but will never be traveling in that direction to see first hand, with Freedom Japanese Market subscription box I have the ability to taste and share with my family the amazing snacks from Japan. 

This is what I saw as I opened my box, an adorable hand made origami crane with a personalized letter and photo of the family behind the business. The letter was also they key to every item in the box. Each item is described perfectly so you know what to expect when digging into your treats. 

This is what my box contained: 

• Chibi Maruko-Chan Marshmallow which is little marshmallows filled with grape jelly
• Corn Soup Crisps which are chips that taste like delicious corn soup
• Super Cola candies that taste like cola with a fizzy centre
• Pocket Juice Stick that can be drank as is or frozen like a freezie
• Strawberry Cheesecake Crunch chocolate bar
• Corn Sticks that are puffed corn in different flavors
• Chibichan Noodles are a tasty noodle snack that can be eaten as is
• Takoyaki Balls are octopus flavored snacks
• Konpeito is a traditional Japanese candy made of sugar crystals and flavoring
• DIY Gummy Kit you just add water and make your own treats
• Sour Lemon Gum Challenge is 3 gum balls, one of which is super sour
• Makken Gummy is a gummy sticky hand
• And a bonus candy called Fettuccine Gummy tasty gummies that are grape flavored

All of these treats were delicious in their own special way and my kids enjoyed every single one! Eager to try all of these new treats my kids were happily digging in without any fear of new flavors, they had so much fun. 

I was very surprised to see the amount of treats that were in my package and it is something that made me want to try more new flavors from Japan.  Freedom Japanese Market offers a lot more then just the wonderful subscription box I got. I highly recommend you check out their website to see everything they have to offer. 
Freedom Japanese Market

All the Japanese candy and snacks are selected, assembled and shipped by the team at Freedom Online Japanese Market. 

• Free Shipping Worldwide!
• Each box is completely packed with about a pound of handpicked popular, traditional and wacky Japanese snacks.
• All candies and snacks are shipped fresh from Japan, and will never see the inside of a sweaty container ship.
• Each subscription box contains many items sold exclusively in Japan.
• You will only receive products we would eat ourselves.  We will only send packages we would be excited to receive.
• You can secure your subscription through PayPal for 100% security.
• As a club member, you will pay absolutely no renewal, handling or service charges.
• You can cancel your subscription anytime, without fees or penalties.

 Only $25 a month and absolutely free shipping worldwide has to be one of the best prices for a subscription box! 

Anyone that orders a subscription via my referral will receive an extra candy free in their first box, all you need to do is mention in the order notes that you were referred by Funky Frugal Mommy! 

The wonderful owners of Freedom Japanese Market want your opinion on what Japanese snacks you would like to see in their subscription boxes so please feel free to leave a comment on what you think they should include. 

As well for my fellow bloggers and website owners, they have a terrific affiliate program where you can earn some extra cash as well. It is absolutely free to sign up and you will earn 5% commissions on your referrals! Check it out: http://www.freedomjapanesemarket.com/affiliates

Follow Freedom Japanese Market on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FreedomJMarket 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FreedomJapaneseMarket 
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdHGAIwgiKpqGjZ2ZUOLBHg/feed?view_as=public 
Google+: https://plus.google.com/110269934613071465588/posts 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Party

My son turned 6 last week and we had his party yesterday. We had a whopping 13 kids come over and have some crazy fun. I went and decked out my house the best I could on a budget and I was able to do his entire party for $150 including food! Here is what everything looked like along with descriptions on how I did it.

For my chandelier I took strips of cheap plastic table cloth and tied all the ninja turtle colors around it. Turned out really neat.

I created sillouettes of NYC using chalk and black construction paper, I had them placed all around the house to give the feel of being in New York.

I used cardboard, black construction paper, and duct tape to create a huge Leonardo sword that my son is actually able to play with. It stands about 3 feet tall.

I also made Donnie's staff which is made from rolled up paper and duct tape. It is just about 3 feet long as well and very sturdy.

For Mikey's nun chucks I used rolled up paper and toilet paper tubes cut into chain like links. I cut a slit in each ring to connect them and then taped them back together using silver duct tape to create a life like chain.

I made lots of NYC manhole covers or sewer lids to place all around the house as well. I just used a big bowl and one a bit smaller to get the perfect circles in white chalk, then created the pattern in chalk as well.

For my brick wall I used a plain plastic red table cloth and drew all the bricks on with a sharpie. To make it more realistic I made cracks and holes and added some turtle power graffiti in the middle.

For the back wall where all my food was laid out I used strips of plastic table cloth in a blue and green pattern, then I did a pattern on top of that using black and green twisted streamers.

Green balloons with plastic table cloth masks. 

So this is how the dining room looked, minus my ninja turtle table cloth and all the food.

I bought some cheap dollar store bins and put a sign on that said "Mutant Ooze".

All of the drinks had ninja turtle labels on them, the nutritional facts are so cute. I cant get a clear picture on my phone so you can check them out here: http://halegrafx.com/printables/free-printable-retro-tmnt-ninja-turtle-water-bottle-labels/

I splurged and got him a Bulk Barn Pinata for his party for $18. The kids loved it. I filled it with candy bought at the dollar store and in clearance bins at Shoppers Drug Mart. It cost me about $9 to pack it full enough for 13 kids.

This is the pic I used for my graffiti on my brick wall.

I made about 20 Kraang balloons for the kids to battle with in the backyard.

Each child got their own individual worms and dirt wrapped in cellophane. Chocolate pudding, chocolate baking crumbs, and sour gummie worms.

I also made lime jello as mutagen for each child in their own little green container, and everyone got a  green bubble wand. I wish I got a picture of all the kids playing as well as the table filled with food but what can you do? I used empty coffee containers, you know the silver ones, and used them to hold the bubble wands giving it more of a city trash can look. The rest of the table was green dishes, lots of fruit, veggies, chips, water, and I ordered pizza from Papa Johns. I got 4 large pizzas delivered for under $50 using their lunch special. The cake was just a store bought chocolate sheet cake that I put his ninja turtle toys on, and that's that. 

Everything came in well under $150 and it was a terrific party! If you have any questions on how to do anything please just ask in the comments and I will reply and if needed post instructions on how to make whatever you need.

Lovable Labels Daycare Packs (Giveaway) & more!

Lovable Labels keeps knocking my socks off with their amazing new products. This month I have gotten a set of Daycare Labels which come in the most adorable designs. These labels are perfect for my daughter this year when she is in preschool. They will go nicely on her back pack, lunch box, clothes, and shoes! I have so many labels in this pack she will have everything she owns labeled.

The daycare pack comes with:

• 15 sticker labels
• 16 match it shoe labels
• 10 fun stickies
• 60 mini DOTS
• 8 Snack labels

Each label has its own unique features, the match it labels are made specifically for your child's shoes.  One sticker goes in each shoe and your child will be able to match the stickers to find their shoes, and they will learn to complete the picture properly to get the shoes on the right feet, very cool. The snack labels can be rewritten on using dry erase, sharpies, etc.

I am very excited to begin labeling all my daughters stuff and we want you to label some stuff to. So you can enter to win a daycare pack below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Party

I have been crazy busy the past couple weeks because my son is having his 6th birthday party tomorrow. I am planning an amazing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Party! I have been pulling ideas off the net but I have yet to find any villain decor online. So I created my own. The "Kraang" are the nasty little aliens that the turtles fight in the series so here is what I came up with: 

I took some pink balloons and some streamers and created my very own Kraang. My son loves them and I think they look really neat! I put a net attached to the ceiling and have them hanging in there as if they are busting out and attacking the party. Cool or what?

Be sure to check out the entire party post tomorrow where I reveal everything I created and how you can to!

Paynter's Market Westbank B.C.

We make it a tradition every summer to visit Paynter's Fruit Market as often as we can. They are Westbank's best fruit stand and a tourist attraction for many reasons. They have fresh fruit grown right here in the Okanagan most of it grown right on the Paynter farm. This place has everything from  jams to hot sauce, chips, and honey, and so much more and all of it is 100% local. The views and decor is something you would see in a book, it is stunning to just look out at the orchards and see the beautiful fruit trees and beautiful mountains in the backdrop. 

The ice cream they sell is out of this world and they have a ton of options. They have stuff even for those who are lactose intolerant and they make fresh waffle cones right in front of you. The smell is so amazing. There is nothing better then watching your happy little kids slurping back their ice cream on a hot summer day. 

They have flower baskets hanging everywhere and the option to go on a u-pick adventure through the orchard. They have washrooms and sinks for washing when your done picking or getting sticky from ice cream. They have pretty much everything a tourist attraction needs including maps and brochures to take away as souvenirs. I love this place and plan on going a few more times before summer ends. 

They also have an amazing pumpkin patch for fall that the kids love! For more information and some great recipes check them out here: http://www.payntersfruitmarket.ca/index.html 

To show your support for local and organic growers and businesses:
 
Follow them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Paynters-Fruit-Market/148495841848264?ref=ts&fref=ts
 and 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PayntersMarket 
 and
Instagram: http://instagram.com/payntersfruitmarket

I love living in the Okanagan!

Wet Cell Phone Fix!

My cell phone is about 3 or 4 years old and is nothing special. Just a Samsung slider with pretty much no special features, but my cell phone is tough as nails! It has been dropped, thrown, stepped on, kicked, and yes dropped in water. Yesterday my smallest ran into the bathroom behind me and tossed my phone directly into the toilet. As it sank to the bottom and bubbles rose to the top my heart sank, could this be the end of my precious indestructible phone? I quickly scooped my phone out of the toilet and removed the battery, everything was drenched. I was sad, but then I remembered this trick I heard that if you put your wet cell phone in a bag of rice it will dry out and fix. It was worth a shot.

I took a Ziploc bag and filled it with minute rice. I took the phone, keeping the battery and backing off and placed it in the rice completely covered.  I left it in there for a good 4 hours before checking on it, my phone lit up in a bright white screen and then instantly died. Still was not fixed. So we went out for the day leaving my phone at home in the rice. We came back another 4 hours later, so I checked on my phone with the same results. I began feeling like I was going to have to get a new phone and try to get all my contacts back somehow, as well as say goodbye to all my priceless pictures. Because my phone is such a minimal model it never even came with a SIM card to take out of it. 

I went to bed with very little hope after an entire day of no results. But continued leaving my cell in the rice. When I woke up this morning I looked at my pitiful phone in my depressing bag of rice and sighed. Guess I'll give it one more try, I told myself as I opened the bag. I pushed the battery in place, put the backing on, and no big flash of white light came on like last time. I thought it was probably gone for good now, I pushed the power button on the side and to my surprise IT TURNED ON! Everything was back to the way it was, although I can see a watermark on the screen, but other then that it was fixed! It took a good 24 hours, but it worked!

The bag of rice trick works! I am proof of that! If you get your cell wet, drop it in a pool or have your baby throw it into a toilet try this trick! I saved myself from losing priceless pictures and saved money by not going out and buying a new phone!