Quote from Forum Archives on August 29, 2006, 2:01 pm

Posted by: jhbreneman <jhbreneman@...>

HEART TO HEART NEWSLETTER
ENCOURAGEMENT TO WOMEN
Compiled especially for you with love by Lois Breneman

 

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8/29/06 A WEDDING, EMPTY NEST, THANKS, STAIN REMOVAL, PANTRY

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Please feel free to share this complete newsletter with

friends who might also like to receive it (instructions to subscribe are at the very end).

 

IN THIS ISSUE:

LOVE, A WEDDING, ADMIRATION AND PITTER PATTER 

LOVE AND MARRIAGE

THIS IS WHAT LOVE IS ALL ABOUT!

WHAT GENDER IS A COMPUTER?
A NEW COMPUTER

DEAR WORLD

WRITING GOD’S LAW ON OUR HEARTS

THE EMPTY NEST - NOTES & QUOTES FOR PARENTS AND CHILDREN

TIPS FOR TAMING EDUCATIONAL EXPENSES

HOME IMPROVEMENT: EIGHT TOOLS FOR EFFECTIVE PARENTING
LET'S SAY "THANKS" TO OUR TROOPS

ALL NATURAL STAIN REMOVAL GUIDE

A SOLUTION REVISITED - REMOVING TICKS
CREAM OF BROCCOLI SOUP

BREAKFAST ON THE RUN!

        CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER OATMEAL SHAKE

        FRUIT SMOOTHIE

AN ORGANIZED PANTRY
BABY CONGRATULATIONS!

SNOWFLAKE ADOPTIONS HAILED

 

LOVE, A WEDDING, ADMIRATION AND PITTER PATTER 

By Lois Breneman, © 2006, Heart to Heart Newsletter, [email protected] 

 

        It was about a week before our three year old grandson, Justin, would be leaving with his parents on a 10 to 12 hour trip to his Uncle Jeff's wedding, where he would marry his sweetheart, Rachael.  Justin was asked by his mom if he wanted to have a friend come over to play the next day.  He thought for only a few seconds and said excitedly, "How about Aunt Rachael?  I just LOVE her!"  He had fallen in love with her during our week at the beach and I think Jeff knew from the start that he had some stiff competition!  

        Jeff had been waiting on the Lord for a long time for God's choice in a marriage partner, and we all agree that Rachael was well worth the wait!  She too had been waiting on the Lord and seeking His will, and they were both delighting themselves in the Lord and serving others through their jobs and church, where they had been very good friends for more than four years.  Then it happened!  God gave them each the desires of their heart - in each other!  For a mother and father who had prayed for a godly wife for our son for many years, it was a glorious thing to behold God at work in their lives, as He joined them together!

        On August 20 Justin was the ring bearer at Jeff and Rachael's wedding, as the happy couple was married in a beautiful log cabin in the country.  The bride was almost ready to descend the stairs and join her soon-to-be husband, just after the ring bearer and flower girl had reached the front with Jeff.  As Justin started toward the front with a smile on his face, holding his little pillow just right with the wedding rings tied to it, the photographer got a priceless shot of Justin as he adoringly peered up the stairs at his beloved Aunt Rachael in the beautiful wedding gown, where he knew she would be standing.

        One day before the wedding, Rachael sprained her ankle, as she was packing up some decorations and reception food that she had prepared.  But she was a real trooper through it all, and I never heard one complaint.  After Jeff and Rachael spent their first night in their own home, she tried to get an appointment with her chiropractor the next morning, before she and Jeff left on their honeymoon.  There was only one appointment available, and that was if she came immediately.  She did and the treatment was very helpful.  But the funny thing is that she had to drive their still wildly decorated car with tulle, big colorful balloons, streamers, and lipstick messages written on the windows.  One lipstick message from Jeff's brother, James, said, "Honk if we're not kissing!"  Here Rachael was driving alone, so who was she going to kiss anyway?  People probably thought she was a runaway bride on the loose!  Hilarious!   She didn't remember the tin cans and gallon jugs still dragging, clickety clacking down the road, so they may have fallen off earlier.

        It's very interesting that Jeff and Rachael were married on the very same date that John proposed to me many years ago!  We had come to my home after church that Sunday evening and played table games with my family.  After they went to bed, we went into the living room to talk.  John did and said several little things out of the ordinary that evening as we played games, as though his mind were elsewhere.  As we sat on the sofa holding hands, I said to him,  "My goodness!  I can feel your heart beating in your hand!  Are you okay?  Here, let me take your pulse."  It was 110 beats per minute!  He said, "Well, I have good reason to be  nervous tonight.  You see I promised myself that I was going to ask you to marry me before I went home tonight."  He really had no reason to be nervous though.  I'm sure he knew that I'd say, "Yes!" which I did!  Then he took my pulse!  It was 112! 

 

 

LOVE AND MARRIAGE

Good News!  New Study Confirms:  Married People Live Longer

http://www.family.org/cforum/briefs/a0041644.cfm

 

A man who says marriage is a 50-50 proposition doesn't understand two things: 
1.Women   2.Fractions

 

 

THIS IS WHAT LOVE IS ALL ABOUT!

Author unknown ~ Contributed by Rosanne Ayers of Virginia
 
        It was a busy morning, approximately 8:30 a.m., when an elderly gentleman in his 80's, arrived to have stitches removed  from his thumb.  He stated that he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am. 
         I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound. 
         On exam, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound. 
         While taking care of his wound, we began to engage in conversation. I asked him if he had another doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry. The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife.  I then inquired as to her health. He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer's Disease. As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late.  He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now. 
        I was surprised, and asked him, "And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?" 

         He smiled as he patted my hand and said, "She doesn't know me, but I still know who she is."  I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arm, and thought, "That is the kind of love I want in my life." 
        True love is neither physical, nor romantic. True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be.

WHAT GENDER IS A COMPUTER?
Author unknown - Thanks to Becky Noell in Georgia for sending this!

An English teacher was explaining the concept of gender association in the English language. 
He stated how hurricanes at one time were given feminine names, and how ships and planes were usually referred to as "she." One of the students raised their hand and asked, "What gender is a computer"?

The teacher wasn't certain which it was, so he divided the class into two groups, males in one, females in the other, and asked them to decide if a computer should be masculine or feminine. Both groups were asked to give four reasons for their recommendation. The group of women concluded that computers should be referred to in the masculine gender because:

1. In order to get their attention, you have to turn them on.
2. They have a lot of data, but are still clueless.
3. They are supposed to help you solve your problems, but half the time they are the problem.
4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that, if you had waited a little longer, you could have had a better model.

The men, on the other hand, decided that computers should definitely be referred to in the feminine gender because:

1. No one but their creator understands their internal logic.
2. The native language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else.
3. Even the smallest mistakes are stored in their long-term memory for later retrieval.
4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending half your paycheck on accessories for it.

 

 

A NEW COMPUTER

        Last week my wife and I purchased a new computer. We ran into some difficulties while setting it up so we called the customer support phone number we found in the manual. 
        I picked up the phone and called the number. A man answered the phone and I explained the problem to him.
        He began rattling off computer jargon. This confused us even more.

        "Sir," I said politely, "Can you explain what I should do as if I were a small child?" 
        "Okay," the computer support guy said, "Son, could you please put your mommy on the phone?"   -- Cited on ArcaMax.com

 

 

DEAR WORLD

By Dan Valentine

 

        My young son starts school today.  It's going to be sort of strange and new to him for awhile, and I wish you would sort of treat him gently.

        You see, up to now he's been king of the roost.  He's been boss of the backyard.  His mother has always been near to soothe his wounds and repair his feelings.

        But now things are going to be different.  This morning he's going to walk down the front steps, wave his hand and start out on the great adventure.  It is an adventure that might take him across continents, across oceans.  It's an adventure that will probably include wars and tragedy and sorrow.  To live his life in the world he will have to live in, will require faith and love and courage.

        So, World, I wish you would sort of look after him.  Take him by the hand and teach him things he will have to know.  But do it gently, if you can.

        He will have to learn, I know, that all men are not just, that all men are not true.

        But teach him also that for every scoundrel there is a hero ... that for every crooked politician there is a great and dedicated leader.  Teach him that for every enemy, there is a friend.

        Steer him away from envy, if you can and teach him the secret of quiet laughter.

        In school, World, teach him it is far more honorable to fail than to cheat.  Teach him to have faith in his own ideas, even if everyone says they are wrong.  Teach him to be gentle with gentle people and tough with tough people.

        Try to give my son the strength not to follow the crowd when everyone is getting on the bandwagon.  Teach him to listen to all men, but teach him also to filter all he hears on a screen of truth and take just the good that siphons through.

        Teach him, if you can, how to laugh when he's sad.  Teach him there is no shame in tears.  Teach him there can be glory in failure and despair in success.

        Treat him gently, World, if you can, but don't coddle him ... because only the test of fire makes fine steel.  Let him have the courage to be impatient.  Let him have the patience to be brave.

        Let him be no man's man.  Teach him always to have sublime faith in himself ... because then he will always have sublime faith in mankind.

        This is quite an order, World, but see what you can do.  He's such a nice little fellow, my son!

 

 

WRITING GOD’S LAW ON OUR HEARTS
By Sharon Jaynes, [email protected], Copyright 2006, Used by permission

I used to walk around the neighborhood and see signs that read, "Dog contained by invisible fence." Actually, I thought it was a joke. But after we got a dog, I learned about this incredible invention, and decided to have one installed.

The fence company dug a narrow four foot deep trench around the perimeter of our yard and buried a small wire. This wire was attached to a control box mounted on our garage wall. Ginger, our golden retriever, was then fitted with a collar sporting a special little box with two small prongs that rested against her skin. The dog trainer then placed white flags all around the yard, marking where the underground fence was buried. As Ginger neared the flags, she heard a quiet warning sound clicking from the box. If she kept going and crossed over the boundary marked by the flag, she got a shock and came back.

Now before you get upset about Ginger getting a little shock, I have to tell you, I let them shock me first. It wasn't painful, but I did not want them to do it again. For twelve years Ginger crossed over the invisible boundary only twice. Once when the fence wasn't working properly and once during her sixth week of motherhood to escape her seven nursing puppies.

If you ride by our house today, you don't see any white flags decorating the perimeter of our yard. So, you might wonder, how does Ginger know where the boundary is? It is simple. For the first week, white flags lined the boundary of our yard. On the second week, I removed every other flag. On the third week, I again removed every other remaining flag. And I continued removing flags, until eventually, they were gone. We don't see the flags, but Ginger remembers where the boundaries are. She also learned that the warning clicking sound was her friend and kept her from getting in a “shocking” situation.

I've realized that the flags are a great picture of the boundaries we set for our children. When they're young, we mark out clear boundaries, and as the child matures into adolescence, we begin pulling up those flags, just a little at a time. As they graduate from high school and move into college, most of the flags marking the boundaries are gone, and we pray with all our might, that they remember where those boundaries are.

Just like when Ginger hears the warning sound when she move too close to danger, I believe that the Holy Spirit taps on our children's hearts, and warns them not to cross the boundaries set by their parents. Sometimes they will proceed and cross the boundary anyway. That's when the shock comes in. It might be in the form of discipline and it might be in the form of living with some very unpleasant consequences.

In the Old Testament, God wrote the Law or the Ten Commandments on tablets of stone, but in the New Testament, He wrote the Law of Love on our hearts. Isn't that our prayer? Yes, we have to spell out the boundaries for our children and point them in the right direction. But as they head off to adulthood, we desire that the boundaries will be written on their hearts and they won't find themselves in shocking situations.

And what about for our own lives? Yes, God has set boundaries for us, just as we have set boundaries for our children. When we make a decision to cross those boundaries, we will also find ourselves in some shocking situations.
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you that you set up boundaries for us in Your Word. Just as we set up boundaries for our children for their protection, you set up boundaries for us, Your children, for our protection. Lord, we pray for our children. We pray that they will not forget the boundaries from Your Word that we have laid out for them. We pray that as they leave the nest and fly off to places beyond the safe boundaries of home, they will remember the teachings they have heard. Thank you for Your Holy Spirit who is always with us to prompt us, convict us, warn us, and empower us to turn from situations that would take us from the safe boundaries You have marked out for us. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Sharon Jaynes is a Vice President of The Proverbs 31Ministry and co-host for the ministry's international radio segments, heard on over 400 radio outlets.  She also is a feature writer for their monthly newsletter, The Proverbs 31 Woman, and inspirational conference speaker for women's events from coast to coast. For more information about The Proverbs 31 Ministry, visit www.proverbs31.org or www.sharonjaynes.com

 

 

THE EMPTY NEST - NOTES & QUOTES FOR PARENTS AND CHILDREN

Ladies, as your children leave the security of your home and go off to college, here are some quotes that may encourage you as moms, and a few to share with your children and young adults.  I believe the most important things we can offer to our children, as they leave home are a continued godly example in our life and marriage, unconditional love, respect, constant prayer and wide open doors of communication. 

 

As your children leave home, Talk Less - Trust God and Pray More!

 

Commit your children to God in the Security, Safety and Strength of the LORD!

If we are praying diligently for our children, we can be confident that God is faithfully working behind the scenes, even when we don't know the details of His working. - Lois Breneman

 

It is comforting to know that the God who guides us sees tomorrow more clearly than we see yesterday.  -- Author Unknown

 

'Difficulty' is not a word to be found in the dictionary of heaven.  Nothing can be impossible with God.  -- Charles H. Spurgeon

 

As your children seek to know God's will for their future:
To have God in our life, doesn't mean sailing on a boat with no storms, it means having a boat that no storm can sink!  -- Author Unknown

 

Somebody once said that in looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity,
intelligence, and energy. And if they don't have the first, the other two will kill you. -- Warren
Buffett

 

Success is to stand in the presence of God, unashamed.

 

TIPS FOR TAMING EDUCATIONAL EXPENSES

by Rachel Keller

The following article is copyright by Rachel Keller. It was first published on Better Budgeting and is used with permission of Rachel Keller and Better Budgeting.com.

 

For many years, I’ve been involved in the educational setting. I spent nearly twenty years as a student, two years teaching full-time in a private Christian school, a couple years in various positions in the public school setting, and eight years homeschooling my three oldest children. As a result, I’ve observed first-hand the advantages and disadvantages to each educational setting. None of them–including "free" public education–is free.

 

According to the National Retail Federation’s 2006 Back-to-School Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, parents of school-age children can expect to spend an average of $527.08 on back-to-school items. The NRF estimates back-to-school spending to reach $17.6 billion. Now, that’s a lot of change in someone’s pocket!

The above figures estimate back-to-school spending only, not any extra expenses throughout the year. So what can you expect to spend your hard-earned money on this school year?

 

To read the rest of this article on tips for saving money (whatever method you choose to educate your child), please visit http://www.betterbudgeting.com/articles/school/educationalexpenses.htm

Note from Lois: You will find suggested ways to save on supplies (paper, pencils and other materials), curriculum, lunches, extracurricular activities, health costs, parties and gifts & which education is best for you?

 

Rachel Keller is a freelance author and homeschooling, frugal mom of 5. She has published many articles on a variety of topics including inspirational short stories and poems and informative articles on fitness. She has a bachelor's degree in elementary education and a master's degree in special education. She also studied both piano and voice in college and plays the organ. Visit Rachel's Writings and her Frugal Parenting Column to read more by Rachel Keller 

 

 

HOME IMPROVEMENT: EIGHT TOOLS FOR EFFECTIVE PARENTING
A book by Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller, RN, BSN - www.biblicalparenting.org  

National Center for Biblical Parenting - Used by permission

This book is more than just a parenting book. It's a tool to use with your child. Each chapter is divided into two parts. The first part is a fiction story about a family who experiences problems and then learns a new tool. Read this section to your child. It presents family issues from the parent's perspective. Children are often blinded by their own viewpoint and seeing the problem from the parent's view is eye-opening. Furthermore, it opens opportunities to talk about ways your family relates and ways you can make changes.

In This Book You Will Learn...
• Four truths that will motivate you to continue on when you’re tired, discouraged, and ready to give up.
• A powerful strategy to help children change their hearts—not just their actions.
• A unique concept that will reveal the cues you give to tell your children when they must obey.
• A six-step “Secret Weapon” you can use when all else seems to have failed and you need a bigger plan to help children develop character, not just change their behavior.
• Three practical ways to be a coach to your children and help them learn from life.
• One small ingredient to add to your parenting to help your children develop wisdom.
• A three-step plan to help your children deal with anger through frustration management, anger control, rage reduction, and releasing bitterness.

An eight CD or audiocassette series entitled Eight Secrets to Highly Effective Parenting is also available.

Parenting Insights You Can Use Now:
Children often have positive character qualities that are misused. As parents, we become irritated by the negative. One part of the solution is to see the good side of that quality and guide children to constructive use of it. Here are a few examples.

Analytical is good, but can be misused by becoming picky, petty, and critical.

Confident is good, but can be misused by becoming prideful, bossy, insensitive, and overconfident.

Creative is good, but can be misused by becoming deceptive, manipulative, and mischievous.

For a complete list of positive qualities misused, take a look at the book, "Home Improvement: Eight Tools for Effective Parenting."   You may also receive free email parenting tips by signing up at www.biblicalparenting.org/.

 

LET'S SAY "THANKS" TO OUR TROOPS

Thanks to Pat Hamren in Virginia for sending this information!

If you go to www.letssaythanks.com you can pick out a thank you card, and Xerox will print it to be sent to a soldier who is currently serving in Iraq.  You can't choose who receives it, but it will go to some member of the military.  It is FREE and only takes a few seconds.  You will not be asked for your e-mail address or any other personal information.  Wouldn't it be wonderful if the soldiers received a bunch of these?  Please do this for the troops who are working hard to preserve our freedom.  It will be appreciated.

 

 

ALL NATURAL STAIN REMOVAL GUIDE
By Mary Findley, Copyright @2003, www.GoClean.com, Used by permission

Time is tight, dinner is cooking and the dog just had an accident on the carpet. Let's take a look at some ideas to quickly remove stains using natural products - perhaps with an exception or two.

First a few general rules for removing stains:
1. My number one rule: Give your product time to work. Rubbing alcohol removes ink off most surfaces but not the minute you blot it on. Dab on your cleaner then allow a 30 minute wait. This gives the product time to dissolve the residue eliminating all the rubbing and scrubbing.

2. Always get to a spill immediately. The longer a spill sets the worse the stain.

3. Rinse the cleaner out of fabrics especially carpets with one-quarter cup white vinegar in two cups of water. Then repeat with plain water.

4. Blotting properly prevents fraying of fabric. Blot using a damp towel. Form a knuckle with your index finger and push into the towel. Rock you finger back and forth, move the towel then rock your finger left to right. Repeat. Reapply the cleaner if needed. After the second application of cleaner, again make a knuckle with your index finger. Push your knuckle and the towel into the carpet then twist your wrist clockwise. Carpet fibers are twisted clockwise. This removes the stain from between the fibers without leaving them fuzzy.

5. Use heat of any kind even hot water. Heat sets stains. Dryer heat particularly means certain death for easy removal.

6. Put a clean rag under the fabric you are working on to prevent the stain from spreading to another surface.

Most stains land in 4 categories; food, grease etc., dirt and who knows. Throw in easy solutions for wax and gum and most perplexing problems tuck their tails and run.

Washing Clothes
Do your white clothes appear dingy even though you bleach them? Bleach causes the discoloration. Add one-half to 1 cup of hydrogen peroxide per regular washer. The first time allow the clothes to soak in the washer for 30 minutes. Then wash normally only use less detergent. White clothes return to their normal brightness and colored cloths perk up as well. Add one quarter cup of baking soda to your washer for additional freshness.

Back to basics on laundry. Begin filling your washer with water (not for front loading machines.) Add your detergent and peroxide then the clothes. The detergent can?t clean unless it dissolves. Switch to liquid detergents for front loading washers.

Fill your tub only three-quarters full. Clothes clean by the agitating action amongst themselves. Crowd them and this cleaning action comes to a halt. Pretreat most stains with a dab of liquid dish soap. Add a few squirts to a spray bottle filled with water. It's cheaper than prewash sprays, works better too.

 

Remember heat sets stains. Don't dry clothes unless the stain is gone.

Food:
Food never spills down your front unless you are out in public here it quickly makes a mockery of your front side. Should, that happen, head to the closest restroom. Gently dab a bit of liquid soap on the spot and resist the temptation to rub. Let the soap set. It may look funny until you get home, but the food stain comes right out.

Popsicles, red wine and other red dye stains:
Cherry popsicles are a favorite treat except when they land in your lap. Mix a 50/50 solution of hydrogen peroxide and cool water. Spray on and let it set 30 minutes. Rinse with a vinegar and water solution. It may take a treatment or two but it comes out. Peroxide is bleach, so always test a spot first.

If a favorite shirt has an old stain, soak it in a 50/50 solution of peroxide and water for 30 minutes. It might surprise you and come out, even after going through the dryer.

Coffee, coke, mustard and the likes of whatever your dish soap doesn't remove: First dab on liquid dish soap and let that set several hours. Blot and rinse as above. If the stain insists on being stubborn, try foaming shaving cream. Spray on the spot, no need to rub it in, and wait 30 to 60 minutes. I've had more good luck removing food stains with shaving cream. It contains 2 or 3 kinds of alcohol and they do an excellent job. The gel shaving cream does not work so use foaming.

Grease, oil, ink and magic marker:
Grease and oil In the driveway or garage: Kitty litter will absorb most of the oil and grease. Apply and use a brush to work it into the concrete. In the evening, pour on concentrated orange cleaner letting it set overnight. It pulls any oil or grease to the surface. Use old towels
to absorb what you can and hose down.

Oil or grease on fabrics or other surfaces: Dab on a bit of a natural orange cleaner and let that set at least an hour. Then blot with a clean cloth. It may take a treatment or two, but it works.

PLEASE follow this advice very carefully. If you spill gasoline on your clothes or in your car, dispose of your clothing properly and replace the carpeting in your car. Gasoline and water don't mix making complete removal impossible. Gas spontaneously combusts especially when the weather turns hot.

Always put a container of gas inside a plastic tub when carrying it in your car. If the tank spills over, the tub keeps the gas contained saving your carpet.

Ink
Rubbing alcohol does a great job every time. Remember to let the alcohol set for 30 minutes. If regular rubbing alcohol doesn't work ask your pharmacist for denatured alcohol.

Magic Marker
Permanent magic markers mean just that. They are nearly impossible to remove. Try dabbing on a bit of concentrated orange cleaner. Let it set even overnight. Rinse to remove. Sometimes toothpaste will help lighten marker stains.

 

Dirt
Grass stains and knees It's a given, walk across the lawn and they appear from nowhere. Immediately rub in some liquid dish soap, let it set overnight, wash as usual.
Treat dirt or red clay on children?s baseball uniforms in the same manner. For really stubborn spots mix a paste of dishwasher detergent and work in. Don't rub real hard, or you could damage the fabric.

Baseball Caps
Wash on the top rack of your dishwasher. Remove before the dry cycle and air dry.

Gum and Wax
Freeze gum with an ice cube. Ice hardens it making removal easy.

Oh those dripless candles. They can and do drip, but nobody told you. First freeze the wax with an ice cube in a ziplock plastic bag. Then chip off as much as you can with the blunt side of a knife. Using a hair dryer and a plain white paper towel, heat the wax blotting with the paper towel as it melts. This works just fine for carpets as well as fabrics. Remember to put plastic under a fabric so the wax doesn't transfer to the other surface.

Underarm stains.
Place a white paper towel both on top of the shirt and on the ironing board to protect the ironing board. Set your iron to medium heat and iron the area. The wax melts into the paper towel. Then spray the stain with hydrogen peroxide. Allow it to set 30 minutes and launder. If the shirt has cycled through the dryer, the stain may be more difficult to remove.

Rust
Squeeze the juice from a lemon on the spot. Sprinkle on some salt and let it set several hours keeping the spot damp with lemon juice.

Who Knows
This is the order of business: 1) Dab on liquid dish soap; 2) Try WD40; 3) follow with hydrogen peroxide/water mixture or club soda and finally; 4) Break cleaner. If all those fail, send in your suggestions.

Pet Problems
So your pet got sick after lunch and your carpet now has red stains. First of all switch food. It's the red dye in the dog or cat food that causes the problem. Dogs and cats are colored blind so they can't tell the difference. They want good tasting food not good looking food.  Follow the directions for popsicles above to remove the stain.

Pet accidents.

Always keep a bottle of a live enzyme product handy. Nature's Miracle is an excellent product. Remember when liquid hits the padding it spreads. A stain on the padding is twice as large as the surface stain. Unless the entire area is treated the pet continues to return to that spot. Pour enough enzyme product on the spot to saturate to the padding. Follow bottle directions allowing the enzymes time to eat away the residue. Then rinse with ½ cup white vinegar per quart of water then again with plain water. Vinegar also helps neutralize odors.

Mary Findley spent 12 years professionally cleaning homes. Her book "Whistle While You Work" is the first ever written for the care of RVs. It also covers home cleaning as well. She writes articles for several magazines and conducts informative and humorous seminars. You are welcome to print out her complete stain removal guide from her website at www.GoClean.com. 

 

 

A SOLUTION REVISITED - REMOVING TICKS
Thanks to Susan Breeden, a "Heart to Heart" subscriber in Virginia for this!

So there you are, ladies!  It really does work, as Susan has experienced, regardless of Snopes. ~ Lois

 

I just read the issue where you retracted the advice about getting ticks off with liquid soap. I had to let you know that we personally have very successfully removed ticks using that very method at least seven times this summer. We have used liquid hand soap and either tissues or paper towels. I know of several other people who have successfully done so as well using liquid dish soap. So, perhaps Snopes says it doesn't work, but it is the best, easiest and fastest method I have ever tried. Especially for a tick imbedded in a head full of hair! Thought you might like to know.   

 

 

CREAM OF BROCCOLI SOUP

This evening I made cream of broccoli soup.  It was very easy and we really enjoyed it.  Simply steam a bunch of broccoli until almost tender but still bright green.  Use purified water for steaming, then use that and some milk later to thin down the soup a bit.  Slice the thick stems and steam them too, unless you want to peel them first.  Spoon the steamed broccoli into a blender with some pepper jack cheese and a little cheddar or colby cheese and give it a whirl.  Add the steaming water, milk and a little salt.  Simple, delicious and healthy for you!

 

 

BREAKFAST ON THE RUN!

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER OATMEAL SHAKE
Put 12 oz. of water and some ice in a blender (skim milk may replace water).
Several scoops of chocolate protein powder
1 cup of uncooked old fashioned oatmeal

1 Tbsp. all natural peanut butter                           Blend about a minute on high speed.

 

FRUIT SMOOTHIE

Blend in blender:

1 banana, frozen

1/2 cup cold milk

Any combination of fruit such as strawberries, mangoes, blueberries, pineapple, apples, kiwi, or whatever fruit is in season.

 

The natural sugar in the fruit sweetens the smoothie, but if you must have it sweeter, add a little Sweet Leaf Stevia or honey, both found at a health food store.  If more frozen fruit is used, you can make a delicious and wonderful natural ice cream!

 

 

AN ORGANIZED PANTRY
by Monica Resinger, [email protected], http://homemakersjournal.com, Used by permission

One night I was making burritos for dinner. I went to grab refried beans out of the pantry and couldn't find any. Later, while cleaning out the pantry, I found some. If the pantry had been organized to begin with, I would have been able to find the refried beans and save my husband a trip to the neighborhood store, saved money as refried beans at the neighborhood store are not cheap and lots of frustration. Another problem with a cluttered, unorganized pantry is waste. I found spilled flour, noodles, Jello and cornmeal packages.

So, in an effort to improve myself and knowing what I had done in the past wasn't working, I put some thought into how I could create a better system. Here's what I came up with:

Assign a Home to Each Item

Assign a home to each different type of item. For example, have one shelf for cereals, another for canned foods, another for spices and another for prepared boxed meals such as macaroni and cheese. If you have to, you can split up a shelf for two different foods. Be sure to keep multiples of foods together so you can see at a glance how much of something you have.

Get Rid of Dead Space

Make sure your shelves don't have too much ‘dead space'. Dead space is unused space which is usually found above what you are storing. For example, when I was putting my canned food away on the canned food shelf, I noticed I couldn't stack two regular sized (about 15 oz.) cans one on top of another, but there was a lot of empty space above the cans (dead space). So I adjusted the shelf up a couple of inches so now I have room to stack two regular size cans and there is less dead space. This made a tremendous difference--I could now get all canned foods onto this shelf rather than have them scattered throughout the pantry.

Creative Containers

Find canisters or other holders for noodles, flour, sugar, rice, popcorn or other food that comes in plastic or paper bags. I used to store the opened bag of rice (or other plastic or paper bagged food) right in the opened bag (closed with a twist-tie) which always lead to spills. Now I use canisters, empty coffee cans, glass jars, and other containers to hold these items for no mess. If you use pretty glass jars (which you can find at thrift stores), you can store noodles, rice, split peas or other attractive food in them and display on your counter to save pantry space. Finally, put taller items in the back. This makes finding things easier.

The effort you put into organizing your pantry can be very rewarding. It will save you time, frustration and money. It is so nice to be able to open the door and see everything organized (or just being able to see everything without a can falling on your head or toes).

 

BABY CONGRATULATIONS!

Please note: If you wish to include your own baby announcement in Heart to Heart, please let me know.  J I do not automatically list them, even if I know of newborn babies being born to Heart to Heart moms and grandmas.

Tim and Lauren Spencer of Maryland became first time parents on August 8, 2006, when their son, Isaac Alexander Spencer, was born.  The proud new grandparents are Bob and Elaine Spencer of Virginia.

 

Welcome to Kyle Donovan Mast who was born on August 15, 2006.  He is the second child of Chad and Doris Mast in Tennessee, joining his big sister. 

 

 

SNOWFLAKE ADOPTIONS HAILED

Ron Stoddart, director of Nightlight Christian Adoptions, told a recent gathering of snowflake families in Denver that there are 400,000 frozen embryos at in-vitro fertilization clinics who could be adopted.  Currently 113 snowflake babies have been born.  Read more at this link:

http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0041640.cfm

 

Researchers Backpedaling on Embryonic Stem-Cell Claims
More realistic expectations begin replacing the hype.

http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0041712.cfm

 

Pregnant teens who carry their babies to term do better psychologically than those who choose abortions, according to a study by Bowling Green State University.

http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0041711.cfm

 

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                            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,

                                                                                                 Lois

                

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. You may 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." 

 

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