7/21/03 CO$T OF KID$, PRACTICAL TIPS, NEW BABIES

#1 · July 21, 2003, 6:14 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on July 21, 2003, 6:14 pm
Posted by: Blc914 <Blc914@...>

HEART TO HEART NEWSLETTER

ENCOURAGEMENT TO WOMEN

Compiled especially for YOU with LOVE by Lois Breneman

7/21/03 CO$T OF KID$, PRACTICAL TIPS, NEW BABIES

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~

CONTENTS:

THE CO$T OF KID$

"GOD BOX"

THE 23RD PSALM FOR THE WORKPLACE

HOW TO AVOID MOSQUITOES

MOSQUITO TIP

PRACTICAL TIPS FOR YOUR FAMILY

MULTIPLE METHODS OF CLEANING MINI-BLINDS

ACCOUNTABILITY WITH A FRIEND

TWO BRAND NEW BABIES

BABY ANNOUNCEMENT REMINDER

IN THE PRESENCE OF JEHOVAH

THE CO$T OF KID$

Author unknown ~ contributed by Linda Klein of California

(I have seen repeatedly the breakdown of the cost of raising a child, but this is the first time I have seen the rewards listed this way. It's nice, really nice!!)

The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140 for a middle income family.   Talk about sticker shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition.

But $160,140 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into $8,896.66 a year, $741.38 a month, or $171.08 a week. That's a mere $24.24 a day!   Just over a dollar an hour.

Still, you might think the best financial advice says not to have children if you want to be "rich." It is just the opposite.

What do your get for your $160,140?

       lNaming rights. First, middle, and last!

       lGlimpses of God every day.

       lGiggles under the covers every night.

       lMore love than your heart can hold.

       lButterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.

       lEndless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.

       lA hand to hold, usually covered with jam.

       lA partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites, building sand castles, and

         skipping down the sidewalk in the pouring rain.

       lSomeone to laugh yourself silly with no matter what the boss said or how

         your stocks performed that day.

       lFor $160,140, you never have to grow up.

       lYou get to finger-paint, carve pumpkins, play hide-and-seek, catch lightning

         bugs, and never stop believing in Santa Claus.

       lYou have an excuse to keep: reading the Adventures of Pooh and watching    Saturday morning cartoons, going to Disney movies, and wishing on stars.

       lYou get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets

         and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in

         clay for Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters for Father's Day.

For $160,140, there is no better purchase.

You get to be a hero just for retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof, taking the training wheels off the bike, removing a splinter, filling a wading pool, coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.

You get a front row seat to history to witness the first step, first word, first bra, first date, and first time behind the wheel.

You get to be immortal.

You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren.

You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college can match.

In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there with God.

You have all the power to heal a booboo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits, so one day they will, like you.

Love without counting the cost.

"GOD BOX"

Author unknown ~ Contributed by Barb Campbell of Mississippi

A "God Box" belongs under your bed. It is a box with a hole cut into the top. You can pretty it up however you like, with contact paper, etc.   Every time you are inclined to get stressed or worried over something, write it down on a slip of paper, date it and KNEEL to place it under your bed, in your "God Box". Since you are down there, you might as well pray about it and give it over to the Lord, as you place it in your box.

THE 23RD PSALM FOR THE WORKPLACE

Author unknown - contributed by Annamarie Kresge of Virginia

      The Lord is my real boss and I shall not want. He gives me peace when chaos is all around me. He gently reminds me to pray before I speak and to do all things without murmuring and complaining. He reminds me that He is my Source and not my job. He restores my sanity every day and guides my decisions, that I might honor Him in everything I do.

      Even though I face absurd amounts of emails, system crashes, unrealistic

deadlines, budget cutbacks, gossiping co-workers, discriminating supervisors and an aging body that doesn't cooperate every morning, I will not stop--for He is with me!

      His presence, His peace, and His power will see me through. He raises me

up, even when they fail to promote me. He claims me as His own, even when the company threatens to let me go.

     His faithfulness and love are better than any bonus check. His retirement

plan beats every 401K there is! When it's all said and done, I'll be working for Him a whole lot longer and, for that, I bless His Name.

HOW TO AVOID MOSQUITOES

By Deborah Taylor-Hough - Used by permission - http://hometown.aol.com/dsimple/

One of the best ways to keep mosquitoes from getting the bite on you is to avoid being the main attraction at your local mosquito theme park in the first place. Understanding a bit about mosquito behavior can help avoid calling unnecessary attention to yourself.

Mosquitoes identify their targets by sight, heat and smell. Avoid physically active movement (exercise, ball games, yard work, etc.) during peak mosquito hours to keep them from noticing you from a distance.

Peak mosquito times tend to be right around dusk and dawn, and throughout the night. Reduce outside lights in the evening hours (use yellow bulbs if possible).

Wear light colors during the daytime -- dark clothing during daylight hours actually attracts the little buggers. According to one report, mosquitoes prefer blue and green so you're better off wearing yellows, reds and oranges.

Mosquitoes are attracted to perspiration, heat, carbon dioxide, and lactic acid. All of these are produced after exercising, so avoid outdoor exercise during peak mosquito hours (at dawn and dusk). Our bodies also release lactic acid after eating certain foods, so avoiding outdoor dining during those hours is helpful, as well. Commonly believed mosquito-attracting foods include bananas or other potassium-rich food items) and salty foods.

Avoid perfumes when outside. Using hand creams and lotions with a sweet scent can also increase your risk of attracting mosquitoes, so go for the unscented varieties during mosquito season. Try using unscented soaps when showering, too. Even though they're rinsed off, the scent remains on your skin and attracts bugs.

Keeping a barrier between yourself and mosquitoes is a simple and natural way to avoid bites. Be sure to wear long sleeves and long pants when outdoors at dusk, or in areas with an especially high concentration of mosquitoes (woods, swamps, hiking trails). And use screens in all your home's doors and windows during summer months.

Several gardeners assured me that planting marigolds, scented geraniums (rub the leaves on your skin too), rosemary, catnip, peppermint, spearmint, daisies, verbena, spike lavender (not the sweet French variety), basil, thyme, garlic, allspice, cedar, and lemon grass around the yard naturally repels insects. Decorating with eucalyptus is also rumored to be helpful. You can make your own insect-repelling sachets by drying the flowers and leaves from the above plants and placing them into small, hand-sewn cotton bags.

MOSQUITO TIP from Eileen Rife of Virginia -

www.iwanttomakemymarriagework.com

Someone passed along another natural mosquito repellant that we have tried recently. Seems to be working. You place 2-3 drops of Lemon Fresh Joy in a small amount of water on a white plate and set it in an area you wish to repel the critters (such as a deck, etc.). The mosquitoes are drawn to the solution, drink it, fly away, and die within ten feet of the plate. We use small white bowls scattered around our deck. Some don't even make it out of the bowl! Yeah!

PRACTICAL TIPS FOR YOUR FAMILY

Annual Zoo Memberships – Check with a zoo near your home to see if an annual family membership with them might be transferable to other zoos. Some zoo memberships are transferable at almost every other large zoo in the country. Be sure to brush up on your photography before going! ~ Lois

Digital Cameras, although rather costly, will save lots of money on film as well as the cost of developing, because you can delete the photos that are "duds." How many pictures have you taken of people with their eyes closed? Or finally gotten last year's pictures developed, then as you and your husband take a look at them, you ask each other at the same time, "What is that?" or "Where was that?"   With a digital camera, you can immediately see the picture after the click of the camera! If it’s a dud, you just delete! Then snap again, if necessary. Amazing close-ups can be taken or after you take the picture, you can view your pictures on your TV screen and zoom in on one part of a picture for fantastic photos! Our son, James, recently took pictures of colorful roosters and hens, flowers, bees, a caterpillar and a fly. As he zoomed in on the tiny creatures and flowers, he got pictures that looked like they came out of National Geographic! Technology has come a long way in the area of photography!  This might be a good Christmas gift for your family. Tell you family to practice those "cheesely grins" in the meantime, as my young friend, Isaac Vega, in Pennsylvania says! He's got one of the best cheesely grins I've ever seen! ~ Lois

The next 6 tips were contributed by Deborah Allen of Virginia:

To clean a barbecue grill rack or oven rack, lay on the lawn overnight and the dew will combine with the enzymes in the grass to loosen any burned-on grease. Another method of cleaning the grill rack is to place soaking wet newspapers on the warm rack overnight, with the lid closed. The rack can be cleaned more easily in the morning.

To remove a melted plastic bread wrapper mark from the toaster or coffee pot, try rubbing Vaseline on the spot, reheat the appliance and use a paper towel to rub off the plastic printing.

For microwave oven spatters and food odors, stir 2 tablespoons each of lemon juice and baking soda into 2 cups of water in a medium microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high, uncovered for 10 minutes. Sponge off any loose residue.

To get greasy or oily stains out of cotton, try Dawn dishwashing detergent. It removes greasy stains from clothes. Apply Dawn Complete directly to the stain, work it in(an old toothbrush works well), then wash in the hottest water the clothes will stand. Before putting in the dryer, check to see if the stain is gone, since clothes dryer heat sets the stain. You may need to repeat the wash.

To remove rust stains, make a paste of table salt and lemon juice. Apply the paste to the rust stain to form a thick mass and let it remain overnight or longer. The salt draws the stain out and into the salt. You can actually see the rust in the salt when it has done its job. Or cover the rust spot with a few drops of hydrogen peroxide and sprinkle with cream of tartar. Let sit for 30 minutes and wipe off with a sponge. Don't try this on colored clothing, as the hydrogen peroxide can act as a bleaching agent.

Faster Ironing ~ When changing your ironing board cover, use aluminum foil under the pad and cover. It will reflect the heat and reduce your ironing time.

The Remaining Household Tips Came from Homefires Hearth www.homefireshearth.com:The Remaining Household Tips Came from Homefires Hearth www.homefireshearth.com:

Save time in the kitchen! I usually buy hamburger – several pounds at a time. I brown it and put it into cottage cheese containers that I have saved. When it's time for a recipe, the meat is already cooked. If the recipes you generally use call for garlic, onions, etc., just put them in while browning like you normally would. Thaw the meat and add to spaghetti, chili, burritos, etc.   I label the container with "Hamburger w/onions & garlic". In the summer I don't heat up my kitchen any longer than necessary.- Marty

If I'm worried that my onions, green peppers or celery have been in my fridge longer than I intended for them to be, I dice the vegetable (or use the food processor) and put it muffin tins to freeze. When frozen, pop them out and put into Ziploc bags for soups, chili, etc. or any “cooked” recipe. – Marty

If you love fresh lemonade, and lemons are on sale, freeze the extra lemons (unpeeled). When you want to make lemonade just slice, cut the peel off and drop the lemon into the blender. It's icy cold and doesn't matter if the pulp is soft. It's going to be blended anyway. - Marty

Extra Grocery Bags? Take plastic grocery bags to your local thrift store and donate them to use for their shoppers. Our local blind thrift store takes any they can get, so when I have a bag of goodies to donate, I also throw in a few jugs full of plastic sacks. I store the plastic sacks in clean gallon milk jugs with a hole cut out about the size of my closed fist at the top where the pouring lip is. Leave the handle on and you can string them on a broomstick or rope to store on a hook on your garage wall. ~~ Rush'd Lady

I make my own fabric softener "sheets." I get a good brand of softener, Downey etc., whatever is on sale. I put 1 part softener, and 1 part water into a half gallon jar. I put a sponge in the solution, and when I need a softener for the dryer, I squeeze out the sponge well and put it in the dryer. So much cheaper, and works so well. Only make as much as you will use in about one month.   Saves a lot of money. ~~ Bev

I make my own bathroom cleaning wipes. I used Lysol and mixed up a gallon (in an old milk jug WELL LABELED!) according to bottle directions then I put a roll of bounty paper towels in a large plastic container I had (I think it was designed to hold a loaf of bread!) Then I poured about 3 cups of the Lysol solution over it. Total cost - less than $1 since I already had the container!

MULTIPLE METHODS OF CLEANING MINI-BLINDS

      From Silvia: This has worked well for me. Hang the blinds outside on the fence. Spray with a foaming bathroom cleanser. Wait and watch the dirt melt away. Rinse with your garden hose and let the sun dry them.

      From Sharon: I dust my mini blinds with one of those wool dusters on a stick. Picks up all the dust. To clean mine I take them down and take them in the garage or deck and hose them off then use a broom (I have a back injury and this way I don't have to bend over) to scrub them w/ hot soapy water and rinse well and hang them over a clothes line to drip dry. They sparkle.

      From Donna: You can use window cleaner or vinegar! Works great just like on your windows!

     From Joan: Cleaning mini-blinds is a snap! I take mine down and dump them in the bath tub with warm water and Dawn dishwashing liquid. I let them sit about 10 minutes and then swish them around.   Drain the tub and fill it with plain water. After a few minutes I pull them out and let them drip dry. I hang them on my wire shower caddy that hangs from the shower head. This way the water just drips back in the tub! When dry, hang back up.

      From Nora: We clean several sets of mini-blinds a month at the apartment complex where we work. After thinking about what might remove greasy dust, we developed this method of cleaning: Run hot water in the bathtub and add about as much dishwasher detergent as you would put in the dishwasher (gel dissolves better than powder.) Open blinds to full length and put the slats in the closed position. Take the blinds down and put in the bathtub to soak in the hot water. Let them soak until the water is cool, or even overnight. Dusty blinds will have to only be swished back and forth, then removed. Really dirty ones may have to be wiped with a sponge, then held under the shower to rinse. (A sponge dish mop works great for washing them.) Stand wet blinds in the bath sink to drain, or if you have room, stand or drape them over a fence outside. (Previous apartment cleaners used bleach, but it rotted the strings.)

      From Vicki: I use a vacuum cleaner with the brush attachment on. I actually clean each blind separately. I go down 1 section a few blinds at a time then move over to the next section (between the loops of fabric or whatever you have holding your blinds). We have a dog and cat so most of the "collection" on the blinds is of this type, but also dirt from outside. (I can't believe I am admitting this to you all!)

      (Note from Lois: If you keep mini-blinds dusted weekly with a lamb’s wool duster, they seldom need anything else done to keep them clean.)

ACCOUNTABILITY WITH A FRIEND

      My girlfriend and I, who are both work-at-home Moms (we do medical transcription work) are both scrapbookers and we usually don't have to work on Fridays so we get together to scrapbook and do whatever together and let our kids play together while we have some adult time too. We also always end up feeling guilty for not getting the house cleaned instead. So I came up with this idea that each Friday we would get together, alternating whose house we gathered at, and we spend the first 2-3 hours cleaning, break for lunch and then spend the next 2-3 hours scrapbooking! Two sets of hands make a lighter load of the cleaning tasks and we still get to spend time together and have fun in the afternoon. This has worked out great and because we are both the same kind of "cleaner" (we are both very meticulous) it works out really well. Anyway, I thought I would pass on the idea as it has worked very well for us and made both our jobs easier to do. - Shelly Simons of Virginia

WELCOME TO TWO BRAND NEW BABIES!

Welcome to Sarah Elisabeth Keller, born on June 29, 2003. Sarah is the 4th child (1st daughter) of Maynard and Rachel Keller of Virginia. She has three big brothers to watch over her.

Micah Jonathan Sheridan was born to Jim and Mary Sheridan of North Carolina. He joined his parents and big brother on July 13, 2003 - a bit early, but they are all doing very well. Congratulations to all of you!

BABY ANNOUNCEMENT REMINDER ~ If you want your newborn child or grandchild's birth announced in Heart to Heart, please write to jhbreneman@juno.com to let me know. I will give the name of your state, but not your city.

IN THE PRESENCE OF JEHOVAH

(words and music by Geron Davis)

Verse 1:

In and out of situations

That tug of war at me

All day long I struggle

For answers that I need

But then I come into His presence

And all my questions become clear

And for that sacred moment

No doubts can interfere.

Chorus:

In the presence of Jehovah

God Almighty, Prince of Peace.

Troubles vanish, hearts are mended

In the presence of the King.

Verse 2:

Through His love the Lord provided

A place for us to rest

A place to find the answers

In the hour of distress

Now there's never any reason

For you to give up in despair

Just slip away and breathe His name

He will surely meet you there.



Each one of you ladies is very special and I pray the Lord's blessings upon you and your family this week. May His Presence be felt in your life today, but whether or not you feel His Presence, He has promised His children, "I will never leave you, nor forsake you. Lo, I am with you always, even unto the ends of the earth."

       Be sure you are His child. If you aren't sure, please look up and read these scriptures and make sure of your eternity in heaven today.

*You (All) are in need of Salvation ~ Romans 3:23

*The consequences of your sin is death ~ Romans 6:23 (But the gift of God is eternal life!)

*God provided salvation for you through Jesus Christ ~ John 3:16; Romans 5:8; I Peter 2:24

*You are saved by trusting Jesus Christ as your Savior ~ John 1:12

*If you sin after salvation, Christ acts as your intercessor ~ Hebrews 7:25; I John 2:1

Love from your “Heart to Heart” friend,

Lois

Friends may subscribe to "Heart to Heart" by e-mailing jhbreneman@juno.com and sending their first and last name, city, state and name of the person who referred them to this newsletter. If at any time you stop receiving this newsletter, please let me know, so I can correct it. To unsubscribe, please reply with a brief message. Thank you!

Posted by: Blc914 <Blc914@...>

HEART TO HEART NEWSLETTER

ENCOURAGEMENT TO WOMEN

Compiled especially for YOU with LOVE by Lois Breneman

7/21/03 CO$T OF KID$, PRACTICAL TIPS, NEW BABIES

~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~

CONTENTS:

THE CO$T OF KID$

"GOD BOX"

THE 23RD PSALM FOR THE WORKPLACE

HOW TO AVOID MOSQUITOES

MOSQUITO TIP

PRACTICAL TIPS FOR YOUR FAMILY

MULTIPLE METHODS OF CLEANING MINI-BLINDS

ACCOUNTABILITY WITH A FRIEND

TWO BRAND NEW BABIES

BABY ANNOUNCEMENT REMINDER

IN THE PRESENCE OF JEHOVAH

THE CO$T OF KID$

Author unknown ~ contributed by Linda Klein of California

(I have seen repeatedly the breakdown of the cost of raising a child, but this is the first time I have seen the rewards listed this way. It's nice, really nice!!)

The government recently calculated the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140 for a middle income family.   Talk about sticker shock! That doesn't even touch college tuition.

But $160,140 isn't so bad if you break it down. It translates into $8,896.66 a year, $741.38 a month, or $171.08 a week. That's a mere $24.24 a day!   Just over a dollar an hour.

Still, you might think the best financial advice says not to have children if you want to be "rich." It is just the opposite.

What do your get for your $160,140?

       lNaming rights. First, middle, and last!

       lGlimpses of God every day.

       lGiggles under the covers every night.

       lMore love than your heart can hold.

       lButterfly kisses and Velcro hugs.

       lEndless wonder over rocks, ants, clouds, and warm cookies.

       lA hand to hold, usually covered with jam.

       lA partner for blowing bubbles, flying kites, building sand castles, and

         skipping down the sidewalk in the pouring rain.

       lSomeone to laugh yourself silly with no matter what the boss said or how

         your stocks performed that day.

       lFor $160,140, you never have to grow up.

       lYou get to finger-paint, carve pumpkins, play hide-and-seek, catch lightning

         bugs, and never stop believing in Santa Claus.

       lYou have an excuse to keep: reading the Adventures of Pooh and watching    Saturday morning cartoons, going to Disney movies, and wishing on stars.

       lYou get to frame rainbows, hearts, and flowers under refrigerator magnets

         and collect spray painted noodle wreaths for Christmas, hand prints set in

         clay for Mother's Day, and cards with backward letters for Father's Day.

For $160,140, there is no better purchase.

You get to be a hero just for retrieving a Frisbee off the garage roof, taking the training wheels off the bike, removing a splinter, filling a wading pool, coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs, and coaching a baseball team that never wins but always gets treated to ice cream regardless.

You get a front row seat to history to witness the first step, first word, first bra, first date, and first time behind the wheel.

You get to be immortal.

You get another branch added to your family tree, and if you're lucky, a long list of limbs in your obituary called grandchildren.

You get an education in psychology, nursing, criminal justice, communications, and human sexuality that no college can match.

In the eyes of a child, you rank right up there with God.

You have all the power to heal a booboo, scare away the monsters under the bed, patch a broken heart, police a slumber party, ground them forever, and love them without limits, so one day they will, like you.

Love without counting the cost.

"GOD BOX"

Author unknown ~ Contributed by Barb Campbell of Mississippi

A "God Box" belongs under your bed. It is a box with a hole cut into the top. You can pretty it up however you like, with contact paper, etc.   Every time you are inclined to get stressed or worried over something, write it down on a slip of paper, date it and KNEEL to place it under your bed, in your "God Box". Since you are down there, you might as well pray about it and give it over to the Lord, as you place it in your box.

THE 23RD PSALM FOR THE WORKPLACE

Author unknown - contributed by Annamarie Kresge of Virginia

      The Lord is my real boss and I shall not want. He gives me peace when chaos is all around me. He gently reminds me to pray before I speak and to do all things without murmuring and complaining. He reminds me that He is my Source and not my job. He restores my sanity every day and guides my decisions, that I might honor Him in everything I do.

      Even though I face absurd amounts of emails, system crashes, unrealistic

deadlines, budget cutbacks, gossiping co-workers, discriminating supervisors and an aging body that doesn't cooperate every morning, I will not stop--for He is with me!

      His presence, His peace, and His power will see me through. He raises me

up, even when they fail to promote me. He claims me as His own, even when the company threatens to let me go.

     His faithfulness and love are better than any bonus check. His retirement

plan beats every 401K there is! When it's all said and done, I'll be working for Him a whole lot longer and, for that, I bless His Name.

HOW TO AVOID MOSQUITOES

By Deborah Taylor-Hough - Used by permission - http://hometown.aol.com/dsimple/

One of the best ways to keep mosquitoes from getting the bite on you is to avoid being the main attraction at your local mosquito theme park in the first place. Understanding a bit about mosquito behavior can help avoid calling unnecessary attention to yourself.

Mosquitoes identify their targets by sight, heat and smell. Avoid physically active movement (exercise, ball games, yard work, etc.) during peak mosquito hours to keep them from noticing you from a distance.

Peak mosquito times tend to be right around dusk and dawn, and throughout the night. Reduce outside lights in the evening hours (use yellow bulbs if possible).

Wear light colors during the daytime -- dark clothing during daylight hours actually attracts the little buggers. According to one report, mosquitoes prefer blue and green so you're better off wearing yellows, reds and oranges.

Mosquitoes are attracted to perspiration, heat, carbon dioxide, and lactic acid. All of these are produced after exercising, so avoid outdoor exercise during peak mosquito hours (at dawn and dusk). Our bodies also release lactic acid after eating certain foods, so avoiding outdoor dining during those hours is helpful, as well. Commonly believed mosquito-attracting foods include bananas or other potassium-rich food items) and salty foods.

Avoid perfumes when outside. Using hand creams and lotions with a sweet scent can also increase your risk of attracting mosquitoes, so go for the unscented varieties during mosquito season. Try using unscented soaps when showering, too. Even though they're rinsed off, the scent remains on your skin and attracts bugs.

Keeping a barrier between yourself and mosquitoes is a simple and natural way to avoid bites. Be sure to wear long sleeves and long pants when outdoors at dusk, or in areas with an especially high concentration of mosquitoes (woods, swamps, hiking trails). And use screens in all your home's doors and windows during summer months.

Several gardeners assured me that planting marigolds, scented geraniums (rub the leaves on your skin too), rosemary, catnip, peppermint, spearmint, daisies, verbena, spike lavender (not the sweet French variety), basil, thyme, garlic, allspice, cedar, and lemon grass around the yard naturally repels insects. Decorating with eucalyptus is also rumored to be helpful. You can make your own insect-repelling sachets by drying the flowers and leaves from the above plants and placing them into small, hand-sewn cotton bags.

MOSQUITO TIP from Eileen Rife of Virginia -

http://www.iwanttomakemymarriagework.com

Someone passed along another natural mosquito repellant that we have tried recently. Seems to be working. You place 2-3 drops of Lemon Fresh Joy in a small amount of water on a white plate and set it in an area you wish to repel the critters (such as a deck, etc.). The mosquitoes are drawn to the solution, drink it, fly away, and die within ten feet of the plate. We use small white bowls scattered around our deck. Some don't even make it out of the bowl! Yeah!

PRACTICAL TIPS FOR YOUR FAMILY

Annual Zoo Memberships – Check with a zoo near your home to see if an annual family membership with them might be transferable to other zoos. Some zoo memberships are transferable at almost every other large zoo in the country. Be sure to brush up on your photography before going! ~ Lois

Digital Cameras, although rather costly, will save lots of money on film as well as the cost of developing, because you can delete the photos that are "duds." How many pictures have you taken of people with their eyes closed? Or finally gotten last year's pictures developed, then as you and your husband take a look at them, you ask each other at the same time, "What is that?" or "Where was that?"   With a digital camera, you can immediately see the picture after the click of the camera! If it’s a dud, you just delete! Then snap again, if necessary. Amazing close-ups can be taken or after you take the picture, you can view your pictures on your TV screen and zoom in on one part of a picture for fantastic photos! Our son, James, recently took pictures of colorful roosters and hens, flowers, bees, a caterpillar and a fly. As he zoomed in on the tiny creatures and flowers, he got pictures that looked like they came out of National Geographic! Technology has come a long way in the area of photography!  This might be a good Christmas gift for your family. Tell you family to practice those "cheesely grins" in the meantime, as my young friend, Isaac Vega, in Pennsylvania says! He's got one of the best cheesely grins I've ever seen! ~ Lois

The next 6 tips were contributed by Deborah Allen of Virginia:

To clean a barbecue grill rack or oven rack, lay on the lawn overnight and the dew will combine with the enzymes in the grass to loosen any burned-on grease. Another method of cleaning the grill rack is to place soaking wet newspapers on the warm rack overnight, with the lid closed. The rack can be cleaned more easily in the morning.

To remove a melted plastic bread wrapper mark from the toaster or coffee pot, try rubbing Vaseline on the spot, reheat the appliance and use a paper towel to rub off the plastic printing.

For microwave oven spatters and food odors, stir 2 tablespoons each of lemon juice and baking soda into 2 cups of water in a medium microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high, uncovered for 10 minutes. Sponge off any loose residue.

To get greasy or oily stains out of cotton, try Dawn dishwashing detergent. It removes greasy stains from clothes. Apply Dawn Complete directly to the stain, work it in(an old toothbrush works well), then wash in the hottest water the clothes will stand. Before putting in the dryer, check to see if the stain is gone, since clothes dryer heat sets the stain. You may need to repeat the wash.

To remove rust stains, make a paste of table salt and lemon juice. Apply the paste to the rust stain to form a thick mass and let it remain overnight or longer. The salt draws the stain out and into the salt. You can actually see the rust in the salt when it has done its job. Or cover the rust spot with a few drops of hydrogen peroxide and sprinkle with cream of tartar. Let sit for 30 minutes and wipe off with a sponge. Don't try this on colored clothing, as the hydrogen peroxide can act as a bleaching agent.

Faster Ironing ~ When changing your ironing board cover, use aluminum foil under the pad and cover. It will reflect the heat and reduce your ironing time.

The Remaining Household Tips Came from Homefires Hearth http://www.homefireshearth.com:The Remaining Household Tips Came from Homefires Hearth http://www.homefireshearth.com:

Save time in the kitchen! I usually buy hamburger – several pounds at a time. I brown it and put it into cottage cheese containers that I have saved. When it's time for a recipe, the meat is already cooked. If the recipes you generally use call for garlic, onions, etc., just put them in while browning like you normally would. Thaw the meat and add to spaghetti, chili, burritos, etc.   I label the container with "Hamburger w/onions & garlic". In the summer I don't heat up my kitchen any longer than necessary.- Marty

If I'm worried that my onions, green peppers or celery have been in my fridge longer than I intended for them to be, I dice the vegetable (or use the food processor) and put it muffin tins to freeze. When frozen, pop them out and put into Ziploc bags for soups, chili, etc. or any “cooked” recipe. – Marty

If you love fresh lemonade, and lemons are on sale, freeze the extra lemons (unpeeled). When you want to make lemonade just slice, cut the peel off and drop the lemon into the blender. It's icy cold and doesn't matter if the pulp is soft. It's going to be blended anyway. - Marty

Extra Grocery Bags? Take plastic grocery bags to your local thrift store and donate them to use for their shoppers. Our local blind thrift store takes any they can get, so when I have a bag of goodies to donate, I also throw in a few jugs full of plastic sacks. I store the plastic sacks in clean gallon milk jugs with a hole cut out about the size of my closed fist at the top where the pouring lip is. Leave the handle on and you can string them on a broomstick or rope to store on a hook on your garage wall. ~~ Rush'd Lady

I make my own fabric softener "sheets." I get a good brand of softener, Downey etc., whatever is on sale. I put 1 part softener, and 1 part water into a half gallon jar. I put a sponge in the solution, and when I need a softener for the dryer, I squeeze out the sponge well and put it in the dryer. So much cheaper, and works so well. Only make as much as you will use in about one month.   Saves a lot of money. ~~ Bev

I make my own bathroom cleaning wipes. I used Lysol and mixed up a gallon (in an old milk jug WELL LABELED!) according to bottle directions then I put a roll of bounty paper towels in a large plastic container I had (I think it was designed to hold a loaf of bread!) Then I poured about 3 cups of the Lysol solution over it. Total cost - less than $1 since I already had the container!

MULTIPLE METHODS OF CLEANING MINI-BLINDS

      From Silvia: This has worked well for me. Hang the blinds outside on the fence. Spray with a foaming bathroom cleanser. Wait and watch the dirt melt away. Rinse with your garden hose and let the sun dry them.

      From Sharon: I dust my mini blinds with one of those wool dusters on a stick. Picks up all the dust. To clean mine I take them down and take them in the garage or deck and hose them off then use a broom (I have a back injury and this way I don't have to bend over) to scrub them w/ hot soapy water and rinse well and hang them over a clothes line to drip dry. They sparkle.

      From Donna: You can use window cleaner or vinegar! Works great just like on your windows!

     From Joan: Cleaning mini-blinds is a snap! I take mine down and dump them in the bath tub with warm water and Dawn dishwashing liquid. I let them sit about 10 minutes and then swish them around.   Drain the tub and fill it with plain water. After a few minutes I pull them out and let them drip dry. I hang them on my wire shower caddy that hangs from the shower head. This way the water just drips back in the tub! When dry, hang back up.

      From Nora: We clean several sets of mini-blinds a month at the apartment complex where we work. After thinking about what might remove greasy dust, we developed this method of cleaning: Run hot water in the bathtub and add about as much dishwasher detergent as you would put in the dishwasher (gel dissolves better than powder.) Open blinds to full length and put the slats in the closed position. Take the blinds down and put in the bathtub to soak in the hot water. Let them soak until the water is cool, or even overnight. Dusty blinds will have to only be swished back and forth, then removed. Really dirty ones may have to be wiped with a sponge, then held under the shower to rinse. (A sponge dish mop works great for washing them.) Stand wet blinds in the bath sink to drain, or if you have room, stand or drape them over a fence outside. (Previous apartment cleaners used bleach, but it rotted the strings.)

      From Vicki: I use a vacuum cleaner with the brush attachment on. I actually clean each blind separately. I go down 1 section a few blinds at a time then move over to the next section (between the loops of fabric or whatever you have holding your blinds). We have a dog and cat so most of the "collection" on the blinds is of this type, but also dirt from outside. (I can't believe I am admitting this to you all!)

      (Note from Lois: If you keep mini-blinds dusted weekly with a lamb’s wool duster, they seldom need anything else done to keep them clean.)

ACCOUNTABILITY WITH A FRIEND

      My girlfriend and I, who are both work-at-home Moms (we do medical transcription work) are both scrapbookers and we usually don't have to work on Fridays so we get together to scrapbook and do whatever together and let our kids play together while we have some adult time too. We also always end up feeling guilty for not getting the house cleaned instead. So I came up with this idea that each Friday we would get together, alternating whose house we gathered at, and we spend the first 2-3 hours cleaning, break for lunch and then spend the next 2-3 hours scrapbooking! Two sets of hands make a lighter load of the cleaning tasks and we still get to spend time together and have fun in the afternoon. This has worked out great and because we are both the same kind of "cleaner" (we are both very meticulous) it works out really well. Anyway, I thought I would pass on the idea as it has worked very well for us and made both our jobs easier to do. - Shelly Simons of Virginia

WELCOME TO TWO BRAND NEW BABIES!

Welcome to Sarah Elisabeth Keller, born on June 29, 2003. Sarah is the 4th child (1st daughter) of Maynard and Rachel Keller of Virginia. She has three big brothers to watch over her.

Micah Jonathan Sheridan was born to Jim and Mary Sheridan of North Carolina. He joined his parents and big brother on July 13, 2003 - a bit early, but they are all doing very well. Congratulations to all of you!

BABY ANNOUNCEMENT REMINDER ~ If you want your newborn child or grandchild's birth announced in Heart to Heart, please write to jhbreneman@juno.com to let me know. I will give the name of your state, but not your city.

IN THE PRESENCE OF JEHOVAH

(words and music by Geron Davis)

Verse 1:

In and out of situations

That tug of war at me

All day long I struggle

For answers that I need

But then I come into His presence

And all my questions become clear

And for that sacred moment

No doubts can interfere.

Chorus:

In the presence of Jehovah

God Almighty, Prince of Peace.

Troubles vanish, hearts are mended

In the presence of the King.

Verse 2:

Through His love the Lord provided

A place for us to rest

A place to find the answers

In the hour of distress

Now there's never any reason

For you to give up in despair

Just slip away and breathe His name

He will surely meet you there.



Each one of you ladies is very special and I pray the Lord's blessings upon you and your family this week. May His Presence be felt in your life today, but whether or not you feel His Presence, He has promised His children, "I will never leave you, nor forsake you. Lo, I am with you always, even unto the ends of the earth."

       Be sure you are His child. If you aren't sure, please look up and read these scriptures and make sure of your eternity in heaven today.

*You (All) are in need of Salvation ~ Romans 3:23

*The consequences of your sin is death ~ Romans 6:23 (But the gift of God is eternal life!)

*God provided salvation for you through Jesus Christ ~ John 3:16; Romans 5:8; I Peter 2:24

*You are saved by trusting Jesus Christ as your Savior ~ John 1:12

*If you sin after salvation, Christ acts as your intercessor ~ Hebrews 7:25; I John 2:1

Love from your “Heart to Heart” friend,

Lois

Friends may subscribe to "Heart to Heart" by e-mailing jhbreneman@juno.com and sending their first and last name, city, state and name of the person who referred them to this newsletter. If at any time you stop receiving this newsletter, please let me know, so I can correct it. To unsubscribe, please reply with a brief message. Thank you!