HEART TO HEART NEWSLETTER
ENCOURAGEMENT TO WOMEN
Compiled especially for you with love by Lois Breneman
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11/3/09 Snowflake Babies, Colds, Flu, Dehydration, Muffins, Lots of Tips, Smiles
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The purpose of the Heart to Heart Newsletter is to encourage women and build biblical values into daily living through practical creative ideas for the Christian family regarding marriage, children, homemaking, and much more. Receive this free bimonthly newsletter by listing your name, city, state, e-mail address, and name of your referral person and sending it to Lois at [email protected]. New subscribers will receive a Welcome, a "Start-Up Kit," and several recent newsletters.
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IN THIS ISSUE:
IN RESPONSE TO THE LAST NEWSLETTER ABOUT INFERTILITY
SNOWFLAKE BABIES
YOUNG CHILDREN RAISED IN CHRISTIAN HOMES
TIPS TO RELIEVE COLDS, SINUS INFECTIONS OR FLU
HOW TO PREVENT DEHYDRATION
PUMPKIN APPLE STREUSEL MUFFINS
TIPS! TIPS! AND MORE TIPS!
CORRECTIONS
DRESS-UP TEA PARTY
FLASHING TRAFFIC CAMERAS
THE WINDOW THROUGH WHICH WE LOOK
SMILES FROM PRECIOUS CHILDREN
IN RESPONSE TO THE LAST NEWSLETTER ABOUT INFERTILITY
One subscriber responded to the topic of infertility, and her personal testimony is below. Other ladies may feel free to reply to any newsletter with testimonies and encouragement about infertility, which touches many couples who would love to hold their own baby in their arms.
Hello Lois,
While I absolutely love reading and forwarding your newsletters, I was touched by your desire to share with others about infertility in the upcoming one. I wanted to share a piece of my story below. I too have had the pain of never conceiving, but God has so blessed me in so many ways, first as a stepmom and now years later as an adoptive mom to the most amazing daughter in the whole world. I am not sure what you are looking for, but I wrote this several weeks ago and wanted to share it with you.
Blessings, Maryann in Alabama
The book of Isaiah 54:1 states we should sing; "Sing, O barren, for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, says the Lord."
Today many women suffer with infertility, the sadness and sorrow of not bearing a child can be great. It can be years even a lifetime of pain that turns one bitter. I ask how one rejoices in the pain and sorrow of being barren. Just as Hannah in the Bible as she surrendered to the priest the fruit of her womb, Hannah jubilantly sang, "The barren hath borne seven." (1 Samuel 2:5) Oh Hannah! Whatever do you mean? You have no abundance - only one, and even he has been torn from you. Hannah's vow of surrender unleashed the power of God.
We can treat this as a burden, struggling in our sorrow or we can allow love to unfold and give praise to God allowing it to become the beautiful experience he intends it to be, turning the bitterness into sweetness. God knows our deepest pain with barrenness and He understands. He wants us to rejoice in it and sing, for many are the children of the barren woman.
Can you imagine what that must have been like for Hannah, to surrender the one child given to her? I am sure Hannah gave no place to bitterness and pain, just praise and thanksgiving. Allow God to heal the wound of your heart if you are one who is struggling with this pain. God will restore you and bring complete peace in this situation, He will turn it around if you let Him. Whether through the miracle of adoption, volunteering at crisis centers, hospital wards, local libraries or nurseries; there is a place for the wounded heart. Let's sing and rejoice as Hannah did!
Find peace in this. Psalm 71:23 My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you. I, whom you have redeemed.
SNOWFLAKE BABIES
On October 28, 2009 a beautiful story of the birth of the first Snowflake Baby, adopted as a frozen embryo and successfully given life, was shared on the Focus on the Family broadcast. Baby Hannah is now almost eleven years old, but you can hear her as a very young child, speaking of being a Snowflake Baby. Since that time, many babies in the embryonic stage have been adopted by couples wanting to have children. Babies' lives have been saved while couples build their own family, including one or more of these cherished frozen embryos that might have been used for research! Go to www.focusonthefamily.com or do an Internet search (Snowflake Babies - Focus on the Family) to learn more. You can listen to the podcast of that broadcast there.
YOUNG CHILDREN RAISED IN CHRISTIAN HOMES
We have all heard dramatic testimonies of those who were miraculously changed by the Lord after having lived far from God in various types of deep sin. We marvel at God's saving grace and their amazing testimony and thank Him for rescuing each one.
Some of us who were raised in Christian homes from birth and had asked Jesus into our lives as young children haven't seen as dramatic a change. Some feel short-changed, because they may think what a boring and lack-luster testimony they have. However in reading Psalm 119:1-16, we can be very thankful for the Lord's protection in our young lives! But, of course, the Lord loves us no more or less than those whom He rescued as a teen or adult from an ungodly life.
We mothers all want to save our children from heartaches and pain, that might have happened, had they grown up without the teaching from the Word of God. It is my prayer that all of our children walk with the Lord from an early age, and remain close by His side.
Wrap these scriptures from Psalm 119 around your young children in prayer, as you teach them diligently, while you sit in your house, walk by the way, lie down and rise up - in other words as you train them at all times. Help them to memorize these verses below to remain with them forever.
"Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with their whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways. Thou hast commanded to keep thy precepts diligently. O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes! Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments. I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgements. I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly. Wherewithall shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee. Blessed art thou, O Lord: teach me thy statutes. With my lips have I declared all the judgements of thy mouth. I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches. I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways. I will direct myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word." -- Psalm 119:1-16
Sometimes, no matter what we do as parents, our children who accepted Christ as a child, may still stray from Him, because of their own choices in life. If that happens, and it may, never give up praying for that child's return to full fellowship with the Lord.
As parents of a wayward child, it is vital that we always do these three things:
1) Keep the doors of communication open
2) Love your children unconditionally
3) Pray constantly for our children.
Never give up praying! God does answer prayer!
Books about Prodigals:
1) Good News About Prodigals and Those Who Love Them by Tom Bisset
2) Prodigals and Those Who Love Them: Words of Encouragement for Those Who Wait by Ruth Bell Graham
3) Rebel with a Cause by Franklin Graham
4) Come Back, Barbara by C. John Miller and Barbara Miller Juliani
5) For more suggestions, do an Internet search on "Books on Prodigals."
TIPS TO RELIEVE COLDS, SINUS INFECTIONS OR FLU
By Lois Breneman - Heart to Heart Newsletter – [email protected]
Other than chicken soup, which provides steam to temporarily clear up the sinuses, hot herbal tea is another help. Turkey soup would be even better, because turkey causes a chemical reaction in the body and makes one sleepy and sleep helps heal the body when sick.
Honey and lemon juice, mixed together, help a cough. Be sure not to give honey to a child under one year, because of the risk of botulism. After a year, that is not a danger.
Foot reflexology helps tame a cough. I used to use this on my children and myself and it works, because of the nerve endings in our feet, which lead to all parts of our body. For the bronchial tube, massage both middle toes on the side nearest the little toes, especially on the lower part of the toe, where it connects to the foot. It will hurt when massaged deeply, if needed. Ease up a bit and continue massaging deeply in a circular motion for 5-10 minutes, switching back and forth from one foot to the other. This method works on the hands, as well – on the middle fingers for the bronchial tube. It is amazing how God has put our bodies together so we can increase the blood flow to specific areas of our bodies to promote healing!
Tea tree oil that is Melaleuca oil from a tree in Australia helps open the sinuses. This can be found in a health food store or by ordering from a Melaleuca distributor. Apply a small amount to a clean Q-tip and apply the oil to both nostrils.
Running a humidifier in the child’s room at naptime and at night helps lessen the coughing and moistens the mucous membranes inside the nose.
Simply simmering water on the stove helps raise the humidity during the dry winter months. A few drops of Melaleuca or eucalyptus oil can be added to the water to help open up the sinuses so you can breathe. Vicks works too.
A simmering potpourri pot also raises humidity. Be sure not to let it run dry and keep out of the reach of young children.
A hot bath or shower helps relieve the aches and pains as well as providing humidity.
Doctors also recommend soaking in a hot tub to relieve the aches and pains of a cold or flu.
Encourage your child to drink plenty of fluids, in the form of water, diluted juice, tea or Gatorade. Milk products cause congestion, so these should be avoided. If you can’t get your child to consume lots of liquids, because he is so ill, follow the instructions below.
HOW TO PREVENT DEHYDRATION
By Lois Breneman - Heart to Heart Newsletter – [email protected]
Many years ago a family very close to me lost their first child at thirteen months of age. Their baby was ill with a sore throat one day. He was under the doctor's care for his illness, but three days later he was very sick with a bad case of vomiting and diarrhea. His parents called the doctor again and wanted to take him to the hospital, because they thought he was dehydrating. The doctor said he would come out to their home instead and give him a shot, which he did (a long time ago, when house calls were not unheard of). The baby was much worse the next morning, and his parents rushed him to the hospital, but tragically, he died on the way. Needless to say, we were all heartbroken at the loss of that precious little boy!
When our daughter was a baby, I told our pediatrician the story about this baby, and asked him if there was anything that I might be able to do to prevent my baby from dehydrating, if she were to have vomiting and diarrhea and be unable to keep down fluids. Dr. Roger Grady told me that I could use a bulb syringe, fill it with lukewarm water, put a little Vaseline on the tip, insert it into the child's rectum and squeeze the ball of the syringe to release the water slowly. He said to do that every half hour if there was a chance of dehydration. He said it wouldn't harm the baby either way. Dr. Grady said the baby would absorb that fluid and would have wet diapers, which would prove that the fluids were absorbed into the baby’s body. The good news is that the child would not dehydrate because of that precautionary measure. It gave me peace of mind to know there was something practical that I could do for my baby if that should happen.
Dr. Grady also said that if a child had a fever, COLD water should be used every half hour to bring down the fever. I was so thankful for that piece of good common sense advice as well and I pass it on to others every chance I get. Of course, this simple common sense method works for any age. For an older and larger person, two or three syringes-full could be used every half hour to prevent dehydration or bring down a fever.
PUMPKIN APPLE STREUSEL MUFFINS
www.urbanhomemaker.com - Used by permission
Makes 18 muffins
2 1/2 cups whole grain pastry flour 1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup honey 2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk, buttermilk, or yogurt thinned 1 cup pumpkin
1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice 1/4 cup oil
1 tsp. baking soda 2 cups peeled and finely chopped apples
Streusel Topping* (recipe below)
Grease muffin cups well. In a large bowl, whisk together honey, eggs, oil, pumpkin and milk. In a medium mixing bowl, combine pumpkin pie spice, soda, salt, flour. Stir dry ingredients into moist ingredients gently, being careful not to over mix. Stir in apples gently. Spoon the batter into muffin cups filling 3/4 full. Sprinkle streusel topping over batter. Bake in preheated 350° oven for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Streusel Topping: In small bowl, combine 2 Tbsp. flour, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon. Cut in 4 tsp. butter, until mixture is crumbly. Note from Lois: Substituting sucanat or Stevia for sugar would be a healthier alternative.
TIPS! TIPS! AND MORE TIPS!
Most of us keep our eyes open, L°Ô¿Ô°KING for good tips to make our lives easier, but if we can find tips that also save time and money, they are especially worth trying. I would be interested to know if you try some of these tips and find them to be beneficial in your home!
Easy Way to Remove Strings from Mashed Sweet Potatoes ~ Use an electric mixer to mash your sweet potatoes. Slowly lower the speed as you lift the beaters from the potatoes, to remove most of the potatoes. You no doubt will find lots of strings clinging to your beaters. Run water over the beaters to remove the strings, and repeat beating and removing strings from the beaters once more. This makes for creamier and less stringy potatoes!
Auto Inspection Savings ~ Before my husband takes a vehicle for inspection, he always checks the lights, turning signals, windshield wipers, etc. himself, with my help. Then he replaces whatever needs attention for a fraction of the cost, buying parts at an auto parts center. If one doesn't know how to do this, it would be worth learning from a friend.
Mark Your Calendar for the months of future auto inspections, so you don't let it slip by and get a ticket.
Appliance Wholesale Distributors sell appliance parts for much less! If you or your husband can replace a part safely without hiring a professional, you can save lots of money. My husband bought a special appliance lightbulb from an appliance wholesale distributor in town for 59 cents and replaced it himself. The distributor where he bought the bulb told him that's exactly where that particular store buys all their appliance parts, but they were going to charge my husband $29.99 for that same little 59 cent bulb! Not labor - just the bulb!
Check Your Roof After a Snow ~ If it's below freezing outside and the snow melts quickly on parts of your roof, the heat from your house may be helping to melt it, since warm air rises. Check to see if you need more insulation in the attic. That can make a huge difference in heating costs! With heating bills "going through the roof," we need all the savings we can get!
Tax Credits ~ Storm windows and doors, thicker insulation in the attic and other home improvements can each save you a lot on fuel bills and you can take a tax credit too! It's a win/win situation!
Foaming Natural Dishwashing Liquid ~ Regular dishwashing liquids from the grocery store cause chapped and peeling skin for many people. I couldn't resist the new foaming liquid by Dawn, but it wasn't kind to my hands at all, so I emptied the bottle to save for other types of jobs - possibly as a prewash on clothing stains. Natural dishwashing liquid from a health food store is much easier on hands, and I stock up when it's on sale. Wearing gloves, of course, is another alternative, but many of us find them to be bothersome. This is my solution to the problem - using natural dishwashing liquid in the foaming dispenser at a 1 to 2 ratio - one part liquid soap with 2 parts water. The foaming dispenser makes the natural liquid last much longer. I soaked the bottle in hot water to remove the label, and Goo Gone removed the sticky residue. Then I decoupaged a fabric flower on the front of the plain blue bottle, so now it looks like it really belongs in my kitchen.
Preserving Baby Memories ~ After our daughter's family moved into a new house, I noticed our 3 year old grandson's nursery curtain (a topper) in storage. I asked my daughter if she'd like me to preserve the memory of his baby nursery by turning the topper into four drawstring totebags for his toys, and she liked the idea. When I made them, I removed the inside label, sewing it on the outside of one bag to expose the label, "Just Born." I gave them to our grandson at the birth of his new baby sister, with a new toy, book, craft activity and game in each bag to open over a four-day period, letting him know he's still very special, even with a new baby sister in the house taking center stage.
Planning an Herb Garden ~ During the colder months, even while the snow still lies on the ground, why not look forward to spring, by thinking of starting an herb garden and drawing up plans? Herbs usually flourish in spite of neglect - they love the hot sun and do well even in drought. My favorite herbs are sweet basil, curly and flat leaf parsley, garlic chives, thyme, peppermint, tarragon, marjoram, oregano, sage and rosemary. Small plants can be found at farmers' markets to plant after frost. Basil is a tender plant when it comes to frost, but is very easy to grow. Peppermint is delicious, but invasive, so plant that in pots or in an area where the roots will not invade other plants. Check out a book on herbs from the library to help with your dreams and plans.
Hard Water Deposits on Showerheads and Nozzles ~ Vinegar is great to remove hard water mineral deposits around faucets, but have you ever noticed mineral deposits clogging the holes on your sink spray nozzle and showerhead? Pour about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of straight white vinegar into a baggie and fasten it to a nozzle or showerhead with a strong rubberband until the deposits disappear. Then reuse the same bag for another clogged nozzle or two. Works like magic!
Easy Lunch Time ~ Eating lunches out on a job quickly drains a budget dry. Just in case you forget to pack your husband a lunch some day, supply him with a few things like canned soup, fruit, crackers, peanut butter and nuts to keep on hand at work. For traveling keep fresh fruit, crackers, cheese, granola bars, and nuts handy. Carry water bottles and healthy snacks in the car all the time. While running errands, many times I've found it took longer than planned. Rather than stopping for fast food, having a healthy snack and water in the car saved me from spending time or money on another purchase, especially an unhealthy snack or meal.
Lemon Juice without Seeds ~ Microwave lemons for a few seconds to get more juice from them. Then squeeze half of a lemon, holding cheesecloth over the cut part, to catch the seeds. Or hold it with the cut part upright, so the seeds won't fall out.
Good Marinade for Meat ~ Did you know that any brand of bottled Italian Salad Dressing makes a good marinade for meat?
Pastry Blender for Meat ~ When browning ground beef, try using a pastry blender to break the meat into smaller pieces, unless you are cooking in a Teflon pan. It works much better than a fork.
Frozen Oranges and Lemons ~ Buy several oranges and lemons when they are on sale. Put them in the freezer in Ziplock bags. When a recipe calls for juice, just defrost in the microwave. When a recipe calls for grated peel, it's easy to grate while frozen.
Peeling Sweet Potatoes ~ For easy-to-peel baked sweet potatoes, rub the skin with vegetable oil before baking. The skins will come right off.
Less Mess ~ Peel your vegetables over a half sheet of newspaper. When you're finished, just fold up and throw it all away!
No Smoke While Broiling ~ When broiling meat, put 1/2 cup of water in the drip pan. There will be no smoke and cleanup will be a snap!
Oil in a Squirt Bottle ~ I keep oil in a honey bear squeeze bottle in a cabinet near the stove - with the lid off. That way I can reach for the oil, squirt it into the pan, and put it back in the cabinet - all with one hand. As often as we cook, little things like this save time and help a lot.
For Browning Meat ~ Keep whole grain flour in a sugar shaker container, so you can simply sprinkle flour over the meat before browning, rather than putting flour into a dish to coat the meat. Flour is not wasted and you save using a dish for coating the meat with flour when using a sugar shaker. Brown only one side of the meat, put in a pan with oil, floured side down, and sprinkle flour on the other side while in the pan before turning to brown the other side.
What to Do with White Rice? ~ Forget about eating white rice with the natural nutritional value bleached out. Use any white rice you may still have in the house to make beanbags for children, a microwavable heat wrap for the neck, or draft dodgers to keep cold air outside. Or fill a storage bin with white rice and sand toys for toddlers to have lots of indoor fun while it's too cold or rainy to play in a sand box outdoors. A swivel sweeper will make quick work of the mess made indoors.
Large Chicken Breasts have too much meat for one serving, in my opinion. Many times I slice boneless, skinless chicken breasts into two portions, after removing the fat. My favorite way to shrink the portion is to slice each chicken breast in half, horizontally, and freeze the meat with plastic wrap between each piece, so they can be separated easily when needed.
Easy Gourmet Chicken ~ Using a meat tenderizer mallet, pound each whole chicken breast with plastic wrap on both sides of the meat, stretching it to a larger flat piece of chicken. Place a spinach filling or stuffing on the breast and tightly roll up to bake, placing the seam on the bottom. This gourmet touch is very easy. One large chicken breast can easily serve two people. Top it off with a light sauce and a sprinkle of sweet basil or parsley.
No More Tears with Onions ~ Putting onions in the freezer for a while (don't freeze them though) helps cut down on tears. Also burn a candle nearby. Peel the onion from the top without disturbing the root, which is the part that causes burning tears. Chop or dice the onion, leaving the root intact. I cut down almost to the root all across the onion about 4 times, then give the onion a quarter turn and do the same thing. Next I thinly slice the onion on a cutting board with a chef's knife, while clasping it with my left hand, as the root holds it all together.
Easiest Way to Get Rid of Onion Odor on Hands ~ After working with onions, wash with soap and water, then rub your hands over the chrome faucet several times. This really works!
Extend the Life of Celery ~ Wrap celery in aluminum foil as soon as buying it and refrigerate it, for much longer lasting fresh celery. It stays fresh for 3 weeks this way!
Quick Fix for Spots on Kitchen Floor ~ When you find a few spots on your kitchen or bathroom floor, that don't warrant getting the mop out and washing the entire surface, just drop a wet terry cleaning cloth on the floor and move it around with your shoe, cleaning the spots. No need to get down on your hands and knees or even bend down, until you retrieve the cloth.
Pure Water ~ Distilling your own drinking water saves on buying and lugging 8 pound gallon jugs home from the store. A water distiller removes chlorine, lead, and other harmful contaminates that are present in water and the taste is great, making it much easier to drink the large amount of water each day that we should. If you drink distilled or reverse osmosis water, you will do well to check into liquid minerals, however. Adding a few drops to each gallon will also change the Ph oh the water from acid to alkaline, which is better for health. Plenty of pure, uncontaminated water is very important for all parts of our bodies - and even improves the complexion.
How Much Water Should We Drink Each Day? ~ Take your weight in pounds and divide by 2. That will tell you how many ounces of pure water you should drink each day. A person weighing 130 pounds should drink 65 ounces of water every day. With 32 ounces in a quart, that's one ounce more than 2 quarts (8 cups). A person weighing 200 pounds needs to drink 100 ounces of water each day - more than 3 quarts. If you have trouble keeping track of how much you drink, it helps to measure out the amount each morning in a juice pitcher, water bottles or Tupperware cups (2 cups/16 oz. each). My doctor said headaches are sometimes brought on by forgetting to drink enough water. Pure water removes toxins from our bodies.
Make Do and Do-It-Yourself ~ The older generation would often say, "You can't squeeze blood from a turnip." Or "Make do with what you have." Then they would make whatever they needed! If your parents were known to say things like that, you are probably creative, from their example and out of necessity. Today we have lots of practical help with Do-It-Yourself information at our fingertips! Do a search on specific projects at www.DIYnet.com, www.HGTV.com, www.lowes.com and www.homedepot.com for step by step instructions; then print them out for your use. Teaching video clips are available on these sites as well.
Patching the Soap ~ Our son-in-law laughed so hard when he learned how we have always "patch the soap," as my husband calls it, by sticking the last sliver of soap onto the next bar, rather than tossing it. My husband and I both grew up in homes where we were taught to do that, and continued with this money saving practice after we were married. Later our son-in-law gave us a call, just to say he asked his best friend what he does with the last little bit of soap. His friend said, "I just stick it onto the next bar of soap!" So even some in the younger generation have learned this frugal trick! J I save the slivers from each bar of soap, and when I have a few, I patch them all at the same time. It works great to place a small amount of water in a shallow dish, place the sliver and a new bar of soap in the water, microwave for about 30 seconds, and press them together.
My Favorite Housecleaning Shortcuts ~ The Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, lamb's wool dusters, the Swivel Sweeper, OxiClean, rubbing alcohol, and terry cloth cleaning cloths are my favorite housekeeping shortcuts, each helping to save lots of time and energy!
Marks on Walls, Appliances, Floors ~ The Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is truly magic! I find more uses for it every week. It removes coffee cup rings from a light countertop, without having to reach for bleach! It removes stains from leather tennis shoes, appliances, scuffs on floors and the bottom of doors. Dollar General has a less expensive brand that works just the same.
Lamb's Wool Dusters can pick up dust in a jiffy. I use 3-4 at a time, and shake the dust off of all of them outside when they have done their job. They come with long or short handles.
A Swivel Sweeper picks up surface dirt in just a few minutes, from all four sides without a cord following you around (rechargeable). It swivels 360 degrees and allows you to maneuver around furniture and other objects easily! CVS and Hamricks have carried them for $39.95. www.swivelsweeper.com
OxiClean Works Great! ~ Even when clothing has gone through the dryer, only to find a stain afterwards, OxiClean still works most of the time. Last week OxiClean removed black grease from a pair of khaki pants that had gone through the dryer and some unknown stains from two other items. It works great on used baby clothes you might find at Goodwill or yard sales.
Spot Cleaning Clothes without a Water Spot ~ Using a clean terry cloth with some clear rubbing alcohol on it, gently wipe away the stain. After it is removed, dry the spot with a hair dryer. I've found this to work very well.
Rubbing Alcohol dabbed onto a terry cleaning cloth works as a great cleaner and germ killer, as well as being inexpensive. Shine a bathroom in short order. Start with the mirror, and wipe the countertop, faucet and sink. Use another cloth to wipe over the bathtub faucet, tile and the tub. Shine the towel racks and toilet tissue holder. Wipe over the toilet - even the floor, in the same way. Periodically wipe over all the doorknobs, light switches, and phones, especially during the cold and flu season. I like to use wintergreen alcohol, but the plain alcohol works just as well.
Terry Cleaning Cloths ~ I don't even call these cloths "rags," because they are so nice to use - no holes. Using thin, worn towels (without holes), I cut each bath towel into 8 sections, and zigzag, non-stop, all around the rounded edges with my sewing machine, assembly line style, without cutting the thread until the end. Old hand towels, dish towels and washcloths work too. Fluff them in the dryer to remove the lint before using as cleaning cloths. I fold mine over once and stack them in bathrooms, laundry room and the hall closet for cleaning. When laundering them, I skip the fabric softener so they are more absorbent. We are still using cleaning cloths that used to be towels we received as wedding gifts 41 years ago! If you don't have worn towels yet, check at yard sales, Salvation Army, and Goodwill.
Combining Discount Opportunities ~ One week at Kroger, after missing several weeks of grocery shopping, trying to use up what we had, I paid $140 for two full carts of groceries, but actually took home $244's worth of groceries - because of sale items, triple coupons, and my senior citizen discount. That was fun - until I had to put all those groceries away! Save trips to the store by keeping bread and milk in the freezer and planning to use what is already in the freezer, refrigerator and pantry. Kroger doubles the value of coupons every day (50 cents and under) and periodically used to triple coupons.
Longer Lasting Soap ~ If your bars of soap come in boxes, such as Dove Soap does, remove the bars from the boxes as soon as you buy them and store unwrapped in a large open box. They will harden a little more this way and last longer.
Pretty Gift Boxes ~ Save the soap boxes that bars of soap, such as Dove, come in, and make lovely little gift boxes! Fold the top ends inside the box and tape down. Using colorful fabric scraps or wrapping paper, cover the box and glue the ends, with the seams on the sides of the box. Avoid having the seam on bottom of the box, because it won’t stand up very well. Trims of lace, ribbons and beads add a special creative touch too. If you want, you can even add a ribbon or raffia handle. Even brown paper from a grocery bag that is sponge painted would make a nice gift box with a raffia handle. Tuck a small gift into the box with colorful tissue paper. This is perfect for earrings, a bracelet or a small Christmas ornament!
Patched Soap ~ When our bars of soap become flat slivers, I remove them from the shower and save them until I have several. Then using a shallow microwavable dish, I lay several flat slivers of soap, as well as new bars of the same soap in a small amount of water, and microwave just until softened. Press each sliver onto a new bar. Or if you wish, you could patch several slivers together to form one new bar. This way there is no waste. Dove Soap is especially easy to "patch," but other brands also work. Some families like to put all the slivers into a sewn-shut terry cloth washcloth to use up the slivers in the bathtub.
Peanut Butter Suet ~ Wrens, nuthatches, tufted titmice, chickadees and woodpeckers especially love peanut butter suet! Peanut butter and fat are good cold weather treats for birds because they need extra fat in their diet to keep their tiny bodies warm. Peanut butter is perfectly safe for birds and they will not choke on it.
You can mix up your own mixture to save a lot of money though. Mix shortening and peanut butter together. Add flour and/or cornmeal, until it is easy to form into blocks to fit into a suet feeder. You can even use flour or cornmeal that has become buggy, and the least expensive shortening and peanut butter will do fine. I wrap the blocks in plastic wrap and put several in the waxed liners that I save from cereal boxes. They can be stored at room temperature (preferably cooler), though they can also be refrigerated or frozen. Do not add water or it will become as hard as a rock. Guess how I know that? I will warn you that raccoons dearly love this suet too. They come at night, reach right into the feeder and dig it out! Then in the morning you may see greasy little raccoon prints everywhere. So I asked my husband if he'd build a wire cage surrounding our suet feeder, extending the space between the suet and the outside edge, with spaces for the smaller birds to go inside and feast. That is working real well!
Science Fair Ideas ~ It may be too late for your high schoolers to use these ideas this year, so you might file this for next year. Robert Krampf has put together a quick list of 35 experiments, along with some suggestions for turning them into interesting science fair projects. Some are simple, while others are more complex. You will find projects for just about every grade level, especially if you get your creative juices flowing. You can find the list at:
Highlights for Kids http://www.highlightskids.com ~ Highlights Magazine Links, Hidden Pictures, Games and Giggles, Express Yourself, Story Soup, Science in Action & Fun Finder
Babies Likes to Put and Take ~ Once your baby can sit up by himself, this is an activity that may help keep him occupied for a while. Give him two small basins or sturdy plastic shoe boxes - one with small toys. Teach him to take toys out of one basin and put them into the other one. Babies and toddlers love this and the sound is fascinating to them as well.
Lego Play ~ Store Legos in covered containers or Ziplock bags. Then when your children play with those creative little pieces, have them be creative as they play with them on a bar pan with sides or a storage bin with low sides. That will prevent the many tiny pieces from becoming a choking hazard for smaller siblings, and barefooted parents won't keep stepping on them.
Diaper Pails ~ Try dumping a small container of whole coffee beans into a mesh bag. Close the end and toss it into the bottom of your baby's diaper pail, below the bag. His room may smell like Starbucks for a week, but soon that will vanish and you will no longer smell the diapers.
Excellent Step by Step Help with Getting Your Home Clean and Organized ~
www.flylady.com A good many e-mails are involved, but this has helped many women get their homes in order, including Heart to Heart subscribers, who recommend this great resource.
Food Time Line ~ Ever wonder what foods the Vikings ate when they set off to explore the world? How Thomas Jefferson made his ice cream? What the pioneers cooled along the Oregon Trail? Who invented the potato chip -- and why? Welcome to the Food Timeline. Great site for finding recipes related to the time period you or you children are studying.
www.foodtimeline.org ~ Thanks to Debbie Klinect in Florida for mentioning this to me!
Thanks to Becky Noell in Georgia, for the following tips seen in the Home & Garden section of her local newspaper, and also sent by a friend. Other than that, the source is unknown.
Easy Deviled Eggs ~ Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up, mixing thoroughly. Cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done for easy clean up.
Expanding Frosting ~ When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar/calories per serving.
Reheating Refrigerated Bread ~ To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.
Newspaper Weeds Away ~ When you start putting in your plants, work nutrients in your soil. Wet newspapers and put layers around the plants, overlapping as you go. Cover with mulch and forget about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic, but they will not get through wet newspapers.
Retrieving Bits of Broken Glass ~ Use a dry cotton ball to pick up tiny broken glass pieces of glass. The fibers catch ones you can't see!
Easier Thank You Notes ~ When you throw a bridal/baby shower, buy a pack of thank you notes for the guest of honor. During the party, pass out the envelopes and have everyone put their address on one. When the bride/new mom sends the thank you notes, they're all addressed!
In Case of Stolen Bike ~ If you purchase a new bike for your child, place his/her (ID) inside the handle bar before placing the grips on. If the bike is stolen and later recovered, remove the grip and there is your proof of who owns the bike.
Flexible Vacuum ~ To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge, add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.
Reducing Static Cling ~ Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and - voila - static is gone.
Measuring Peanut Butter or Honey ~ Before pouring sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill it with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry the cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.
Foggy Windshield? ~ Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car. When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth!
Leg Shaving Conditioner ~ Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's a lot cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair.
CORRECTIONS
Exploding Pyrex Dishes ~ At the time the last newsletter was written, the Snopes link given for this topic listed it as completely "True." I read the entire statement very thoroughly before posting it. Snopes obviously changed their statement, adding those true and false bulleted statements after I had checked to verify its truth before including it in Heart to Heart. Those true and false bulleted statements were definitely not there at the time I wrote the newsletter. Now, however, Snopes gives a "Mixed" review (true and false). Please check out this link for details: http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/pyrex.asp
A Gift for You: Freezer Meals for Your Slow Cooker (Correction) ~ Malia Russell from Homemaking 101 has uploaded a
corrected copy of her free e-book for you. It's the same link as given in the last newsletter, with corrections made. She apologizes for the misprints.
http://www.homemaking911.com/?dl_id=48
DRESS-UP TEA PARTY
Beatriz Gay from Mexico sent me a precious picture of her 8 year old daughter, Marianne, during her birthday party. She wrote,"I was reading one of your recent Heart to Heart newsletters and I got an excellent idea to make the party. I organized a tea party, then went to Goodwill to buy hats, dresses, necklaces and some teacups for the girls. They were so happy with the idea! They told me that this was a cool party. I enjoyed so much the innocence and the happiness that they had on that day! I offered them "tea" (pink lemonade) and then we played some games while drinking the "tea." When they left I gave them the teacup each girl had used, and put inside a small treat bag with a bracelet, a lip balm and two candies. Thank you. It was a memorable day for Marianne!"
FLASHING TRAFFIC CAMERAS
A man was driving when a traffic camera flashed. He thought his picture was taken for exceeding the speed limit, even though he knew he was not speeding. Just to be sure, he went around the block and passed the same spot, driving even more slowly, but again the camera flashed. He thought this was quite funny, so he slowed down even further as he drove past the area, but the traffic camera flashed yet again. He tried a fourth time with the same result. The fifth time he was laughing when the camera flashed as he rolled past at a snail's pace. Two weeks later, he got five traffic fine letters in the mail for driving without a seat belt.
THE WINDOW THROUGH WHICH WE LOOK
A young couple moves into a new neighborhood. The next morning while they are eating breakfast, the young woman sees her neighbor hanging the wash outside.
"That laundry is not very clean", she says. "She doesn't know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better laundry soap."
Her husband looked on, but remained silent. Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry, the young woman would make the same comments.
About one month later, the woman was surprised to see a nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband: "Look, she has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her this."
The husband said, "I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows."
And so it is with life. What we see when watching others depends on the purity of the window through which we look.
SMILES FROM PRECIOUS CHILDREN
Ladies, please continue sending your cute kids' quotes to me to share in Heart to Heart! Love them! Thanks for these!
We were studying inventions during Heritage Studies and noted the many inventions around us. When I mentioned windows, my one son, 10, said, "I know who invented windows." Feeling rather impressed by my son's knowledge, I asked him who. He replied, "Bill Gates!" ~ Rachel Keller in VA
Apparently the toddler (Savannah, 2), missed the memo on the extra hour of sleep! She pranced into our room pushing her baby stroller at 6:30 A.M. and said, "Wake up guys! I need a juice box!" ~ Lauren Beckner in Virginia
I think the funniest moment we had recently was actually the day before Halloween when I took Savannah, 2, trick-or-treating, after we had been potty training for the past few weeks. She rang our neighbors' doorbell and as soon as they opened the door, she shouted excitedly, "I just went pee-pee!" They weren't quite sure what to do! J ~ Lauren Beckner in Virginia
Many Heart to Heart ladies and their families need our prayers,
so please remember to pray for each Heart to Heart lady as you receive your newsletter.
(¨`·.·´¨) God bless you and your family and keep you in His loving care!
`·.¸(¨`·.·´¨) And remember, I love to hear from you dear ladies!
`·.¸.·´ Your Heart to Heart friend,
The purpose of the Heart to Heart Newsletter is to encourage women and build biblical values into daily living through practical creative ideas for the Christian family regarding marriage, children, homemaking, and much more. Receive this free bimonthly newsletter by sending your name, city, state, e-mail address, and name of your referral person to Lois at [email protected]. New subscribers will receive a "Start-Up Kit."
Disclaimer: Various web sites are given as credits or to supply additional information for readers. However, all the views and advertisements represented by web sites given in this newsletter are not necessarily the views of the editor. Please use your own discretion regarding all information given in this newsletter.
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