9/1/09 Joy and Sanity in Mommyhood, Teens, Memorization, Coffee Filters, Tips, Kids' Quotes
Posted by: jhbreneman <jhbreneman@...>
ENCOURAGEMENT TO WOMEN
Compiled especially for you with love by Lois Breneman
9/1/09 Joy and Sanity in Mommyhood, Teens, Memorization, Coffee Filters, Tips, Kids' Quotes
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IN THIS ISSUE:
CHOOSING JOY AND SANITY IN MOMMYHOOD
TEENS NEED RELATIONSHIP
HELP WITH MEMORIZATION (MNEMONICS)
MEMORIZING THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (Exodus 20)
BOOK ORGANIZATION AND DEJUNKING THE HOME
INTERESTING USES FOR COFFEE FILTERS
COFFEE FILTER BUTTERFLIES
TIPS AND TIDBITS
HOW TO GET ON THE REPAIR-IT-YOURSELF BANDWAGON
CUTE KIDS' QUOTES
BABY CONGRATULATIONS
CHOOSING JOY AND SANITY IN MOMMYHOOD
by Heather Hostler, Susan Pontius, Andrea Bean, and Alison Buck July 2009
A dear friend of ours recently sent out a plea for help and encouragement in her role as a mom. All of us have multiple children under the age of 8. One of us is a single mother. Here are some things weve gleaned, and theres so much left to learn!
All Around the House
*Tackle big projects in small steps. Plan ahead as much as possible for major changes in schedule or for things that will disrupt the flow of daily life (i.e. job changes, new siblings, new living arrangements, medical concerns, remodeling projects, trips/vacations, baby-sitters, etc.).
*If/when possible, plan meals in advance for the week or even the month. This saves time and money at the grocery store AND takes the guess work out of cooking.
*Have a schedule for meals for breakfast or lunch. Post this so the children can read it maybe even use pictures as a visual.
*Start dinner in the morning via prep work, defrosting, or even crock pot cooking. Make a double recipe if you can and freeze it for later. Begin this process when you have the most energy instead of during the afternoon when blood sugar and patience tends to drop. Crock pot meals are great ideas that you can start early and set it for the day.
*Always have staple foods on hand for meals the quick fix when you are absolutely exhausted or unable to function under normal circumstances. At our house, this list includes grilled cheese and soup, PB&J, cereal, scrambled eggs, protein smoothies, yogurt with raw veggies, whole wheat crackers with cheese, chicken quesadillas, a "snack dinner" with nuts, fruit, veggies and pretzels, or pizza.
* Learn to give yourself grace and not put so much pressure on yourself to make everything from scratch or everything a hot meal. Again, refer to the "quick fix" meals.
*Gives choices, when it comes to meal time, for accepting the food or not. If a child is complaining say, "Thank you, or no-thank you?" and allow them to respond. Usually, they will say, "thank you" and gratefully accept the food. Even if they like the food, but complain because they want a bigger piece, use this approach. And if the answer is no thank you, then put the food away. There is something that happens to our hearts when we verbalize "thank you."
*Assign chores / responsibilities list for each child based upon their age and abilities. This instills a deep sense of community, or TEAMWORK, while investing in each others lives. Rotate the roles as needed. Some examples are taking out the trash, setting the table, dusting furniture, cleaning glass/mirrors, feeding pets, making beds, folding laundry, etc.
*Consider investing in a Shark Vacuum and other kid fun/ friendly tools that will spark their desire to want to contribute. Personalize their tools and hang them in places they can reach easily.
*Try assigning certain responsibilities to certain days for example Monday is washing and drying the laundry, Tuesday is ironing and putting it all away. And if it doesnt all get done, give yourself a buffer day.
*Accept the fact and just plan get-over-it-now that there will ALWAYS be laundry to wash/fold/put away, meals to prep, dishes to clean/put away, bills to pay, things to do, places to go, people who need you, etc. The world as you know it pre-children, has changed. This is the new normal. Get over yourself.
* Remember that the mess of toys around is a sign of vibrant life in your house and one day you will miss the mess! Your children are a blessing from God!
Its a Matter of Relationship Spouse, Friends, and Children
*Have a daily 5-minute "phone date" with your husband. This quick vocal check-in allows you to vent if needed, to pray together, to share a silly story, or to confirm logistics for the day. It keeps everyone on the same page and playing on the same family team. J
*Aim to schedule monthly dates with your husband. Having uninterrupted couple time is a vital necessity to nurture your relationship. Take turns in planning the event and arranging childcare. Be creative and thoughtful, always remembering that quality and quantity of time with him counts tremendously.
*Give ALL of yourself freely to your husband and hold nothing back from him. Remember the passion you felt for him when you were dating and be playful in creative ways throughout the day.
*Take a moment for assessment alone and with your spouse. How much do you rely on him? Are there places he can assist you or share in certain responsibilities? Are there places where he needs you to be more present? Determine if there is someone who could take the children on a play date while the two of you tackle a project together and perhaps turn it into a mini-date with lunch or dinner as your reward.
*Strike up a friendship with moms who are (or who recently came out of) a similar stage/age of your children. You are not alone, and Satan would love to convince you of this lie! Such relationships allow for edifying conversation, great phone chats, mommy silliness/jokes, wisdom sharing, girls only date nights, and spontaneous baby-sitting when you need to run quick errands, need a nap, or are desperate for some quiet time.
*Its okay to ask for help! Do it often and without apology. Conquer your own perfectionism, stubbornness, pride, arrogance, or self-sufficiency. Sometimes it simply doesnt even cross your mind to ask. Get into the habit of allowing other people to make the decision to help instead of assuming that theyll say NO or that you are burdening them with your needs. It is a blessing to introduce other people into our childrens lives!
*Realize that each age/stage draws upon various mothering skills and abilities. For instance, some mothers may find infancy to be repetitive, exhausting, and scarce on enriching emotional feedback. On the other hand, some mothers may find this time to be peaceful, even-paced, or possibly even energizing! Children grow so quickly and move to a new stage in months or even weeks. Be not too tightly attached (positively or negatively) to any one stage. Dont wish time away, but savor the joys and learn from the sorrows. Instead, be flexible and ready for one of lifes constants Change!
*Each child is truly an individual, uniquely created by God with a divine purpose and destiny. Refuse to engage in cookie cutter parenting- acting as if your children are carbon copies of one another. Be in tune to his or her specific temperament, activity level, emotional tone, cognitive strategies, strengths, hurdles, and relational styles. Be a student of your child and ask the Lord for wisdom in how to shepherd and equip each child with grace to call forth Gods best in and through them!
*Organize a prayer team of 10-20 people who pray for you regularly and specifically. This team can also be mobilized for time-sensitive requests. Provide regular updates on how the Lord is moving and what He is teaching you.
*Take time as a couple to pray over your house and your children. (Done well when they are asleep at night!) Ask the Lord to show you the giftedness, strengths, and needs/weaknesses of each precious one.
*Respect your children as human beings. Children want/need to know the day's schedule, be looked in the eye and spoken to, not degraded, not bullied, but to know you understand their needs and desires.
Your Personal Perspective
*Set realistic daily goals. Be honest with yourself when figuring out what you can/cant or even what you should/shouldnt attempt to start or finish in a day or a week, or a month, or a year.
*Be graceful with yourself. The fact is that rotten days, stinky attitudes, total inconveniences, and wretched disappointments happen for various (or not apparent, at times) reasons. You will mess up and will need forgiveness from your children and/or your husband. Acknowledge your sin before them and the Lord and then move on quickly! Forgive yourself quickly and hold no account of your wrongdoings.
*Pamper and even indulge yourself regularly. Taking the role of a servant can be extremely taxing and wearisome. Unashamedly taking some time out from the daily routine quickly quells any rumblings of martyrdom. Examples may include a walk, shopping, a long phone call or meeting with a friend, a massage or other spa treatment, a coffee drink at a book store with your favorite pen and journal scrapbooking, or whatever recharges your batteries and gives you perspective. Be unapologetic about needing and capitalizing on this time.
*Choose to laugh instead of cry. Choose to cry when you need to as well, no doubt! See the lighter side of things and keep the frustrations in perspective. Look for the humor even in the most annoying of circumstances. Remember that this too shall pass! Tomorrow is another day with new mercy waiting for you when your feet touch the ground. For example, instead of being constantly annoyed that my son runs away from me and keeps me ever vigilant of his climbing capabilities, I am thankful that he has working appendages that can bolster him to and fro with minimal effort. I pray that his physical persistence will be realized as persistence in prayer and in changing the spiritual climate of this nation and this world.
*Don't cheat yourself on sleep! Go to sleep when you are tired and nap when you are able. The benefits of sleep are too numerous to count. Be wise in giving yourself this valuable gift! Guard it carefully in prayer for your family as well.
*Take time to read or at least peruse resources that encourage and empower. Some great examples: Loving Your Children on Purpose, Men Are Like Waffles, Women are Like Spaghetti it might take a while to get through a book, but you dont always have to read them page by page. Maybe magazines or websites are just as uplifting.
*Appreciate the little moments, remembering that most positive things happen in very short, captured periods of time. For instance, when everyone is cranky including yourself, stop everything and focus on the kids - read a book, play cars, throw ball or get out musical instruments. Most often, those few minutes are enough, and then they are off playing again.
*Practice Self-Control. We can control ourselves. You can't control your child, but you can teach him/ her by example that you can control yourself.
*Establish your core values for your family. For example: Fun, Loving, and Helpful and determine if your actions and those of your family are meeting these values.
The Spiritual Connection
*Take time to listen to the Lord. Be quick to obey and slow to speak, even when He doesnt make sense. Do what He has called you to do - nothing more and nothing less. He will never lead you where His grace cannot keep you.
*Encourage daily quiet time for everyone in the family. For the younger ones, this will most likely mean physical rest/sleep. As the children age, allow them to read, complete an activity book, pray, meditate, or do something stationary and solitary (and relatively quiet) for 30-60 minutes. This will give you some down time to spend with the Lord, too! Cultivate in them an understanding of how to talk to AND listen to Jesus. Expect them to hear the Lord clearly and ask what they are learning.
*Remember that you (and your husband, if youre married) set the tone or the atmosphere of your home. If Jesus is lifted high, then Satan cannot touch you! If Scripture is hidden in your hearts, there will be neither attraction to nor room for the worlds filth to dwell therein.
* Be intentional to pray about how you parent, and about how the kids hearts will be more receptive and softened to Gods truth and love.
*Strongly consider and review the media that is brought into your home. Be aware of radio, downloaded or recorded music, books, magazines, videos, Internet content, and other sources that may not honor the Lord. Guard the hearts and minds of your family members with zeal.
*Cultivate thankful hearts! When we are thankful, we focus on what we have and on the Lords goodness. Jealousy, comparison, a spirit of poverty, and fear flee when we cling to the One who is ever faithful to supply all of our needs. Focus on what you can do with the resources you have and sow good seeds into the Kingdom to reap eternal rewards.
* Remember that the Lord is waiting to answer your prayers if you will only ask. Somehow it's always easier to pray and ask for others' needs, but you have needs that He cares about and for which He will provide, even when those prayers are for people to come along and help you take care of your home and family.
* Try association prayer, something that helps you focus on others and not just on you or your immediate family. A couple of examples: when I put on mascara, I think of my friend Laura who, back in High School, said she hardly ever put that on, because her lashes were so thick and dark. While I was cleaning my kitchen, washing dishes, and scrubbing my sink, I thought of my friend Renee, who had told me some tips shed been trying recently to at least keep her kitchen clean to feel better about her house. So I prayed for her family.
* Remember that God understands the seasons you have in your life. This is a time where those long moments alone with Him just arent as frequent as we were used to in college or early marriage. They will come around again, when the kids are in school, and definitely when theyve graduated and moved out.
*Carve out at least some time for you to be alone and focusing on God. Perhaps a personal retreat once or twice a year needs to be set on the calendar. If you have access to your local church building or a friends house who may be away for the weekend, put the kids to bed and go sing, play an instrument, pray, read, and listen! You need time to recharge and pray more intensely.
*Make time for worshipping with the children. Put on a CD and dance together or play an instrument and sing while they dance or read a book. Let them know the importance of mommys worship time and teach them to respect it even if they do not want to participate. Invite them to take a turn after you are done.
* Remember: It is the presence of the Lord that changes us and that changes our children. Even when you don't understand or have the answers for or about your children, you can worship. You can invite the powerful, manifest presence of the Lord to saturate your home and invade the hearts and minds of your children. He inhabits the praises of His people.
*Try reading the Bible aloud to your children and ask them questions along the way, so you are both having some devotional time. If youre feeling really ambitious and creative, try acting the story out together or summing the principle up in just a few words that you will remember.
Balancing Discipline and Play
*Allow the children to play by themselves or with siblings minus your physical presence. Even just 15 minutes once or twice a day will give you time to check email, organize mentally, or make some phone calls. Being a parent does not equal being a peer playmate. (I need to remind myself of this often!) Confining them to one room/creating boundaries for this play area will keep them safe.
*Schedule date nights with the children individually and with Mommy or Daddy monthly. Allow them to choose the activity. Sharing special time alone with them feeds both of your souls and can lead to deep discussion and/or spiritual training or even impartation!
*Choose your battles. Too often we jump on our kids when it really isn't necessary. Realize that it is coming from your stress or urgency of trying to get out the door, etc. Bite your tongue more and wait before talking.
* Try singing your requests. For example: the "Have Patience" song from Music Machine. This usually stops screaming and fussing long enough to make some headway.
*Establish a day of rest it doesnt have to be Sunday, especially if you are actively serving in a ministry capacity on Sunday mornings. We use Friday night to Saturday mornings as our Sabbath, so no major chores or errands are done. Its just family time, or personal reading and reflection or relaxation time.
TEENS NEED RELATIONSHIP
by Dr Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller, RN, BSN - http://www.biblicalparenting.org - Used by permission
Getting physically close to your child is important when giving instructions, especially with teenagers. Teens need relationship whether they'll admit it or not. In fact, the stronger the relationship, the less likely you'll get resistance.
Sometimes young people resent having to share in the workload of running a household. You might hear them say something like, "My parents are always ordering me around. It's like I'm their slave." Of course that's not true, but when parents take time to show value for the relationship before giving instructions, they can build a greater sense of teamwork.
When teens can't see how instruction is related to relationship, theyre more likely to justify unkind words or dishonoring actions when they don't like what you've told them to do. They don't understand that obedience is a demonstration of love. Getting physically close makes a statement about who we are together. Face-to-face contact says, "I care about you."
By affirming your relationship in the midst of the instruction, you teach your children an important lesson about the way God relates to us. Spirituality isn't just a list of do's and don'ts, but it comes within the confines of relationship.
Alex, a father of three said it well, "I had a picture in my mind of a Father who yells instructions down from heaven. Distance and harshness characterized my view of God. It wasn't until I became a dad and I remembered how my parents treated me that I began to see the connection. I was viewing God from what I had learned in my family growing up. I work hard now to give instructions in a more relational manner. It's amazing how something as simple as giving and receiving instructions can give you a perspective of who God is and how he relates to us."
For more on how to build a good Instruction Routine with your children, order the book, "Good and Angry, Exchanging Frustration for Character in You and Your Kids." To learn more about relating to teens, consider Say Goodbye to Whining, Complaining, and Bad Attitudes, in You and Your Kids." Both of these books are authored by Dr Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller, RN, BSN.
HELP WITH MEMORIZATION (MNEMONICS)
All ages will find these memorization tips helpful. Never underestimate the memory of very young children! That's when memorization comes the easiest, so take advantage of their wonderful minds, especially in scripture memorization!
The Great Lakes, in order from west to east:
Sam's Horse Must Eat Oats
Superior, Huron, Michigan, Erie, Ontario
(Indian, Arctic, Atlantic, Pacific)
Eat An Aspirin After A Nighttime Snack
The Colors of the Rainbow, in order:
ROY G. BIV (pronounced like a person's name)
Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet
The Planets in order:
My Very Educated Mother Just Sent Us Nine Pizzas
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto. Disclaimer: Pluto has lost its planetary standing, now, so we'll have to learn a new one.
Do a search on Google to find a mnemonic for other specific things. Example: "Mnemonic for _________."
MEMORIZING THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (Exodus 20)
by Jodee Kulp - 2001 Copyright
Key Sentence: "Our God Now Shows His Kids About Sin with Commandments."
This sentence should be written on the blackboard and repeated over and over, at least once after each commandment. Go through each commandment, stating what it means in simple terms, then saying the sentence 2 times or so.
- OUR - "O" in "Our"stands for OTHER. "Thou shalt have no OTHER gods before me" (v3)
- GOD - "G" stands for GRAVEN. "Thou shalt not make unto thee any GRAVEN image"(v4)
- NOW - "N" is for NAME-"Thou shalt not take the NAME of the Lord thy God in vain." (v7)
- SHOWS - "S" is for SABBATH. "Remember the SABBATH day to keep it holy." (v8)
You might also mention here 2 things. The first 4 commandments deal with man's relationship to God. The next 6 relate to man's relationship with man. Additionally, this is the only commandment that is not repeated in the New Testament, yet the concept of rest and reflection is an important thing we should do.
- HIS - "H" stands for HONOR. "HONOR thy father and thy mother." (v12)
- KIDS - "K" is for KILL. "Thou shalt not KILL." (v13)
The word kill here has the literal meaning of murder. I always tell the children this isn't talking about squashing a bug.
- ABOUT - "A" is for ADULTERY. "Thou shalt not commit ADULTERY"(v14)
When men and women are married to each other they make a vow that they will be faithful to one another. If they break this promise it is sin.
- SIN - "S" is for Steal "Thou shalt not STEAL" (v15)
- WITH - "W" is for WITNESS. "Thou shalt not bear false WITNESS against thy neighbor" (v16)
- COMMANDMENTS - "C" is for COVET. "Thou shalt not COVET..." (v17)
by Lois Breneman, © 2009, Heart to Heart Newsletter, [email protected]
INTERESTING USES FOR COFFEE FILTERS
Coffee filters can be found for less than a penny a piece at Dollar General. They are super cheap, lint free and very versatile!
* Wrap your Christmas decorations in them to safely store them without scratches.
* Substitute coffee filters for bowls when serving popcorn, pretzels, corn curls, nuts, sunflower seeds, etc.
* Use a coffee filter to apply shoe polish. Keep in a Ziplock sandwich bag for further use.
* To prevent odors in shoes, put some baking soda in a filter, tie with a ribbon, and put in shoes.
* Fill coffee filters with potpourri, tie with a ribbon, and put in drawers, closets, cars, and entrances to your home.
* Help keep your China from scratching, by separating pieces with coffee filters.
* Use coffee filters, which are already lint free, to clean mirrors, computer and TV screens, as well as eye glasses.
* Keep a coffee filter handy when shaving. It will go a long way in patching razor nicks to prevent further bleeding.
* Catch the drips from popsicles, by first poking a hole in the filter for the popsicle stick to go through.
* A coffee filter makes a great ice cream cone holder!
* A coffee filter inside a cast-iron skillet when not being used, helps absorb excess moisture that may cause rust.
* Place a coffee filter at the bottom of a flower pot to keep the dirt from leaking through the draining hole.
* Cover small dishes of food in the microwave with a coffee filter to prevent splattering.
* Before placing greasy food such a French fries on a plate, place a filter on the plate to help absorb the grease.
* Clean your cable connectors with a filter.
* Tie spices in a coffee filter to flavor a slow cooker full of wassail.
* Wrap messy food, such as tacos, or hamburgers in a coffee filter to absorb grease and prevent spills.
* Use a coffee filter as a spoon rest while cooking.
* Put a few drops of liquid fabric softener on a coffee filter, rub it in and toss it in the dryer to soften clothes.
* Place herbs in a filter, tie with string and toss in soups and stews for flavoring.
* If you are on a diet and weigh your food on kitchen scales, use a filter as a base for chopped food.
* If you have a wobbly table, fold up a coffee filter and place under the short leg to steady it.
* Coffee filters make great hats for children, so help them to decorate a few.
* Use a mixture of watercolors on coffee filters to incorporate them into card making and scrapbooking.
* Help your little ones make beautiful butterflies, flowers and angels out of coffee filters after painting them with watercolors.
COFFEE FILTER BUTTERFLIES
by Sherri Osborn - [email protected] - Used by permission
Wooden Clothes Pins
Round Coffee Filters
Black Acrylic Paint
Watercolor Paints
Black Pipe Cleaner
Glue Gun
Instructions:
It's a good idea for mom or dad to paint the clothes pins black first. I usually just clip mine onto a paint stirrer or an old ruler. Fold the pipe cleaners into V shapes the size you want your antenna to be, cut and hot glue to the clothes pins at the flat end (please do not use a hot glue gun without an adult's help).
Take the coffee filters and spray them with water till they lay flat but aren't drenched (it should only take a few short sprays, I use warm water). Now, go nuts blobing the watercolors on the wet coffee filters. It will run and smear but don't worry. When you are happy with your design on one, repeat this process with another coffee filter. Put the wet filters in a safe place to dry.
When they are dry gather up the coffee filter in the middle, trying to keep the outside edges flat, and clip it into the clothespin. Spread the wings out and you are done.
I usually put a strip of magnet on the backside of clothespin and stick them on the fridge, they are strong enough to hold some paper up. If you don't want them on the fridge you can just clip them around the house (on the curtains the bed pillows).
(The added plus to this is if your child feels like making more you can just swap out the old wings for the new ones, unless of course they all migrated to gramma's house like mine seem to.)
A variation shared by Shannon from NC: Instead of paint, have kids color coffee filters with washable markers. Mist the coffee filter with water causing the colors to run together, let dry. Construct the butterfly as suggested above.
TIPS AND TIDBITS
@'s ~ When I put together a newsletter, I add @'s to sections I want to give more attention to before sending to everyone. I sent the last newsletter rather hurriedly before leaving for an appointment. Because of that, I forgot to print it out ahead of time, completely proofread, and remove the @'s from two tips. Sorry about that! By the way, the linoleum cleaner which I had flagged, actually does work well! I tried it myself.
The first indication that the swine flu vaccine poses significant health risk has emerged.
Kunstrad EM 2009 Carla und Henriette Hochdorfer Source: http://www.youtube.com
Fun Game That Teaches About Finances ~ http://piggybank.disney.go.com/media/ap/piggybank/index.html
Thanks to Debbie Klinect in Florida for sending this.
Make Pancakes and French Toast Ahead of Time ~ For quick toasted breakfasts, make a large batch of pancakes. Or make French toast, using a whole loaf of bread at once, dipping slices into a mixture of about 1 1/2 cups of milk, about 7 eggs, and a little salt. No sweetener is necessary, when adding jam or syrup. After the French toast is completely cool, put it back into the bread bag, and freeze it for quick and easy breakfasts. Simply toast the pancakes and French toast. One person may prefer pancakes and another might want French toast. A toaster has at least two slots so use them!
Slow Cooker Pot Roast ~ Start by putting carrots, cut up potatoes and a chopped or sliced onion in the bottom of a slow cooker. Hard vegetables take too long to cook through if not on the very bottom. Lay a beef roast on top of the vegetables. Combine a can of cream of mushroom soup with dried onion soup mix and spread over the top of the roast. Cook on LOW for about 10 - 12 hours. Note: Chicken breasts may be used in place of beef. A turkey breast or whole chicken (without the vegetables, because of space) is very tasty and tender when done in the slow cooker with this flavorful mixture.
HOW TO GET ON THE REPAIR-IT-YOURSELF BANDWAGON
by Mary Hunt - http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com - Used by permission
If you have never repaired anything in your life, even you can get on the new trend emerging in this tough economy. It has become trendy to repair things: anything from appliances to shoes and everything in between, instead of replacing them to avoid spending money, or at least to delay a big expense.
Never has there been a more useful tool available to us than the Internet. You don't even need to own a computer or have in-home access to the World Wide Web to make use of all its wonder. Just stop into your local public library and you'll be online in no time at all. Everything you could possibly think of repairing has a companion "how to" somewhere on the Internet. Finding that site may be the biggest challenge.
Start at your favorite search engine (Firefox, Yahoo, Google, etc.) and simply pose your question starting with "how to" and ending with a question mark. Prepare to be amazed. Whether it's fixing your eyeglasses or the dishwasher, you will likely turn up more than one response.
There are also Internet sites that serve as portals, or their own little search engines, for these kinds of do-it-yourself projects. Take FindHow.com for example. Going to this site first and conducting your search there will weed out all the junk and take you right to the most useful solutions for your particular need. Simply type in "how to" and what you need to do, i.e. "How to fix a sewing machine," or "How to change oil in a car." In seconds, you'll have the answer to your question. Many times, that answer will come with step-by-step instructions, photos and even a video.
Another useful website is FixYa.com, a site that offers technical support, instructions and repair service. Is your computer on the fritz? Don't toss it out before you do a thorough investigation at FixYa.com.
Are your appliances behaving badly? Before you call to have them hauled away, take a tour of RepairClinic.com. You'll enjoy the do-it-yourself diagnostic help, live online chat with the Repair Guru team, as well as delivery of just about any appliance part your research determines that you need.
I can report from personal experience that it is possible to participate in a long-distance diagnosis of a fairly simple repair job. What seemed like a daunting task turned out to be a quick and easy fix. I avoided a big, expensive repair bill (repair people don't come cheaply these days), and got to keep using my venerable dishwasher for another year, while I saved up to buy a replacement.
If you've avoided learning how to do your own repairs in the past, avoid no more. Really, it is so easy to do many repairs yourself, and your payoff will be huge. These days, when everything seems to cost more than ever before, that's saying a lot!
CUTE KIDS' QUOTES
These first four cute quotes are from Sarah Escalera in Virginia:
A few nights ago we were playing outside and my husband, Stephen, decided to go in a little before me, so I asked him if he could to let me know the time. After he called down the time, Jeremiah, 4, looks at me and says, Mommy, it would be really cool if you had a timer on your arm then you wouldnt have to ask Papi to tell you the time. Uhmmmm, that would be a watch nothing new under the sun!
Natalie, 2, saw a port-a-potty at the end of a road that was under construction and said, "Mommy, loot! There's a bafroom in de road!"
My husband, Stephen, was waiting in the van with the kids while I ran into the library. Natalie, 2, saw a small plane flying outside her window and said, Papi, loot a baby airplane!
This evening after our adventure in Kroger, Natalie, 2, said, That man was very nice to give me a dolly lop" .a.k.a. Lollipop. Liz Smith in the state of Washington, was informed by her daughter (Madelyn, 2) that she has a plug (otherwise known as a pacifier) factory in South America.
My granddaughter, Ryan Elizabeth, likes to do everything by herself, now that she just turned two. Her favorite saying now is, "I got it, Momma! I got it!" Oh dear! She sounds like a teenager already! ~ Lois
Catherine Yoder in Indiana shares this one ~ One night I was carrying our youngest, 8-year-old Elizabeth, to bed. I was jokingly moaning and groaning about how big she is getting when she said, "MOM, pretend you're not old."
BABY CONGRATULATIONS
Benjamin Matthew Turner Smith was born on August 21, 2009. He is the third child of Matt and Liz Smith who live in the state of Washington. Benjamin is the sixth grandchild of Sid and Jennie Smith, who live in Virginia.
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 jhbreneman@juno.com.
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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