HEART TO HEART NEWSLETTER
ENCOURAGEMENT TO WOMEN
Compiled especially for YOU with LOVE by Lois Breneman
~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~
5/22/07 TIMMY, EFFECTIVE MOM, RESPONSIBILITY, SOLAR, CHAPSTICK, TECH
~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~*~:~
IN THIS ISSUE:
PLEASE KEEP SENDING THOSE E-MAIL ADDRESS CHANGES
ASK A NURSE MIDWIFE
TIMMY'S STORY
FRIEND TO FRIEND
TWELVE HABITS OF A HIGHLY EFFECTIVE MOM
A PRACTICAL WAY TO TEACH CHILDREN RESPONSIBILITY
TIPS AND TIDBITS
SOLAR HANGING LAMPS TO CUT WAY DOWN ON YOUR LIGHT BILL
FAVORITE MOTHER'S DAY MOMENT - CHAPSTICK AND THE CAT
FAITH PUT TO THE TEST
PLEASE KEEP SENDING THOSE E-MAIL ADDRESS CHANGES
(Please send your name, old e-mail address and new e-mail address. Thanks!)
I really enjoy receiving your Heart to Heart news. It's so encouraging to me. I have a new email address and I don't want to stop receiving your newsletter. Please change my address to from
[email protected] to [email protected] - Kim Pannell in Virginia
(Not the real e-mail addresses, of course)
ASK A NURSE MIDWIFE
Please send your personal questions relating to pregnancy and childbirth that you would like to see addressed by replying to this newsletter. Names of those sending questions will not be included in this column, and the answer will be e-mailed to you before it appears in a newsletter .
Question:
Will you address/ask for suggestions/encouragement on how to deal with the pain of a miscarriage? After dreaming about, praying for and loving our first baby for only one week we discovered our dear child would be taken home
taken along with our dreams. For many months I dealt wrongly with bitterness toward God for allowing it to happen, against mothers of infants for simply having them, and against others who seemingly never cared about the hurt (although Im sure they did but didnt know how to express their care). The doctor said about 1/3 of all pregnancies end in miscarriage so Im certain there are other ladies whose hearts are hurting.
Here are some things people said that only excelled the pain:
This is Gods way of making sure you didnt have a deformed child.
I guess your pain isnt as deep because you never knew the child.
Here is some thing someone did that helped to soothe the pain:
She slipped quietly into the room while there were no other adults in the room gently touched my shoulder and said, Please tell me about your miscarriage and how that made you feel.
Even though this has happened 7 months ago, the pain is still very real
the bitterness though has been graciously removed by my Father in Heaven.
Answer:
First let me say I am sorry for your loss and the pain you and your husband have experienced over the past 7 months. There is no time in pregnancy, parenting, and even with infertility when the pain of the loss of a child and all the dreams attached are not accompanied by grief. Miscarriage can be devastating to women, especially for those who have more than one. Each one is special to the parents who have waited anxiously for that child. To some extent, miscarriage affects everyone in the family - parents, grandparents, and siblings. But, remember each one may grieve differently, and pass through the grief at different rates. I remind people to make sure that the grief draws you closer to God, and closer to each other, rather letting it tear you apart. Get help from a pastor, counselor, or a friend if needed. Be aware that some of the feelings may surface again on the projected delivery date, around holidays, or even the birth of another child. This is normal. Dont be hard on yourself about it.
You are correct in saying that many women and their families have been affected by miscarriage. Approximately 15% of pregnancies end in miscarriage, also called spontaneous abortion. About 75% of miscarriages are said to be related to genetic abnormality with the rest related to such things as progesterone insufficiency, uncontrolled diabetes, thyroid abnormalities, infections, uterine abnormalities, autoimmune diseases, exposure to chemicals such as cocaine or chemotherapy. Smokers also have a higher rate of miscarriage. Often the cause is unknown.
TIMMY'S STORY
By Lisa Ulakovits in Georgia
(Note from Lois: This is several combined e-mails sent to me from a "Heart to Heart" subscriber of three years. Lisa has given me permission to share Timmy's story with all of you, in hopes that it may minister to others. Please pray for Lisa's family - that the Lord will give them strength and bring His good out of a terrible tragedy.)
I'm sure you're in contact with many people and probably don't "remember" me. I emailed you in the end of December or maybe the beginning of January. I thanked you for your newsletter and mentioned how it blessed me so much to read what you've put together each time. I was pregnant with baby #6 on the way and I had told you how hard it is to find a few spare moments in my life, but I always print and read your newsletters. You responded to my email and asked to print my comments in a future newsletter (which I think you did).
I wanted to email you again and share what happened in my life since I sent my original email to you. On January 15th I had a baby boy. He was 6 pounds 10 ounces and healthy. We named him Jacob Alexander. We brought him home from the hospital a few days later to be with the rest of his family. This family includes Zack (12), Ashley (9), Nicholas (6), Catie (4), and Timmy (2). Timmy's birthday was the next week, January 24th, his 3rd birthday. What, I guess, you need to know about my children and our family is that we have no health problems or anything like that. On Wednesday night, January 25th, we put our son, Timmy, to bed as usual. When we went in to wake him the next morning, he wasn't breathing. We called 911, but it was too late. He had no health problems and when they finally completed the autopsy they ruled it was "natural causes." They really couldn't determine what caused our son to die.
I shared all of this with you, not to make you sad, although it is very sad. We deal with it every day. I wanted to share this with you and let you know that through all we've been through, your newsletter has been there for me. We experienced the greatest joy in having a baby and the most difficult loss in losing a little child all in a period of 10 days! It's impossible to explain how we've made it through it all ... except through God, His word, His body, His people. You are one of His people who has helped me walk through this. We are still walking through this every day, but God helps us, step by step, day by day, with just enough strength to get through each day. Thank you so much for all you do and know that you are helping many who don't email you.
I did want to let you know that I have been in touch with an organization called SUDC. It stands for Sudden Unexplained Death in Children. Their website is www.sudc.org. This is a group dedicated in supporting families and grandparents who have experienced a loss like ours and trying to make changes in our system. All of the people in the group have experienced a loss as we have - a healthy child dies with no real explanation as to what happened, even with an investigation and an autopsy. This is sort of like SIDS, but the children are over a year old. Many families experienced just what we did. They put their child to bed one night (sometimes even one afternoon for a nap) and their child never woke up. There are many differences in the way that unexplained childhood deaths are investigated and the autopsies that are performed. They vary, in many cases, from state to state. SUDC is working on passing laws so that things are done the same across the country. Years ago, SIDS was prevalent because of lack of knowledge. Even though the cases of SUDC are more rare, maybe if all the cases were looked at and compared the same way they'd be able to figure out what was happening to our children.
The cases of children dying of SUDC are pretty rare. I think the statistics were something like 1 in 100,000. It, hopefully, shouldn't make people too scared. If anything, I hope to have people learn from me how important every day is.
We just don't know how long we've got and we need to treat each day as the gift it is. I'm so thankful for the three years we had Timmy here. They were wonderful and he was a lovely, precious boy. We're sad because we just assumed that we had many years ahead of us with him. Now as I look at his life, I'm so grateful God sent Timmy to be here with us, even for the short time we had with him. I know we'll be with him again one day!
Timmy was a special little boy with blonde hair and brown eyes. He would begin every day asking for a cup of chocolate milk. He even learned to help me fix his cup for him. He loved chocolate chip pancakes and anything sweet! I'll never forget the day I found him up on the kitchen counter. It was the middle of the afternoon and he was sitting on the counter in the middle of Ovaltine, marshmallows, and candy. He had a baby bottle pop in his hand and he was "wearing" chocolate Ovaltine all over his clothes, including a chocolate mustache! (This picture is one I actually have on film!)
His favorite movie was Peter Pan. He would run around the house saying, "I am Peter Pan!" Then he would proceed to get you with whatever "sword" was available at the time.
My sweetest memory of my Timmy is how he loved God. Although he was not quite three, Timmy memorized scripture verses just as well as my older children. His favorite was Galatians 5:22-23. I can still picture him in my mind ... "The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no LAWN." (What does such a little man know of law anyway?!)
These are my precious memories of a special little boy who touched so many people. Thank you for letting me share with you a little of Timmy's story.
My Mother's Day was nice. We dedicated our infant son, Jacob, at church yesterday and it was lovely. It made a day that could have been really sad, just beautiful!
Your sister in Christ,
Lisa
Death leaves heartache none but God can heal,
While love leaves memories no one can ever steal.
FRIEND TO FRIEND
By Sharon Jaynes -
[email protected] - Copyright 2007 - Used by permission
Don't you just detest those mothers who seem to have it all together? You know her: super-mom. She is that mythical creature who never yells at her kids. Whose house is always spotless, whose children always obey quickly and quietly, who prepares three square meals a day that are nutritious and aesthetically pleasing ... the one who is a "successful" mother.
If there is anything that can discourage a hard working mom, it is comparing herself to this creature which only exists in storybooks. I can assure you that every mother who appears to breeze effortlessly through life has struggles of her own.
When I taught my husband to snow ski, I showed him how to turn his skis toward the side of the mountain to slow down. Inevitably he turned too much to the left or right and ended up with his skis pointing up the mountain. He then proceeded to slide down the mountain backwards. After a few trials and lots of error, he discovered that when he turned, if he just continued turning his skis, making a complete circle, it would slow him down and he wouldn't end up going down hill backwards.
It was a sight to behold, but it worked. At the end of the day, a woman came up to Steve and asked if he could show her how to make those "beautiful circles." Of course he obliged. She thought he was an expert skier who was doing some form of acrobatics. In actuality, he was going in circles, doing whatever it took to keep from going down hill, backwards.
When you look around and see other mothers who appear to be "mothering" better than you, don't be fooled. They are probably doing whatever it takes not to go down hill backwards themselves. Successful mothers are not the ones who have never struggled. They are the ones who never give up, despite the struggles.
Calvin Coolidge said, "Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan, "press on" has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race." I'd like to add that God is the only One Who is Omnipotent, but persistence and determination while relying on His power brings great results!
Galatians 6:9 reminds us, "Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do no grow weary." That's a promise that we all can cling to.
Let's Pray - Dear God, sometimes I feel like I am going in circles. Help me to not compare myself to other moms but keep my eyes on You. I pray that You will make my path straight as I press on toward being the best mom I can be to the children You have given me.
In Jesus' Name, Amen
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sharon Jaynes is the former vice president of Proverbs 31 Ministries and a co-founder of Girlfriends in God (
www.girlfriendsingod.com). Read more of her inspiring words there, at
www.proverbs31.org or at her personal website,
www.sharonjaynes.com.
TWELVE HABITS OF A HIGHLY EFFECTIVE MOMBy Mia Cronan -
[email protected] - Copyright 2001 - Used by permission
Over the few years that I have spent as a mother, I've tried hard to listen carefully to this new group of peers, in addition to reading books on the topic of good mothering. In that time, I've been able to identify what I feel is truly important when blessed with the task of raising children and preparing them for the world. Much like when in the workforce, we use our peers' viewpoints of doing business to determine where we fall on the spectrum and decide thusly how we can proceed effectively, we do the same in parenting.
Here you will find twelve areas that you may be able to relate to and mull over in determining what is important to you as a mother.
1. Praise positive behavior.
There have been times when I have crawled into bed at night thinking that my day had been full of nothing but negative exchanges with my children. That's a daunting feeling, and it always leaves me swearing that I will not say anything critical or less than positive the next day, for fear of leaving them feeling less than good about themselves, in turn. But the truth is, there will be times when, in an effort to make the most of our children, we let them know how and where they fall short. It cannot be avoided. In light of that, the old saying, "Catch your kids doing something right," is so important here. It's easy to say, "I really don't like how you slammed that door," but it takes a little more work to say, "I really liked the way you just shared with your sister." That kind of immediate observation goes a long way toward promoting positive behavior. Your children will want to repeat it as soon as they can. And it will certainly feel better to you to say those kinds of good things!
2. Find time for yourself -- spiritually, physically, and emotionally.
How many times have we said that there's just not enough time in a day? Far too often, in my case. But if you budget your time, and I'm learning how to do that, there are always 30 minutes somewhere in a day to do a little something for yourself. Moms quite often get so caught up in doing for everyone else and feeling totally indispensable, that there is the underlying assumption that there's no time left for Mom. If you are able to set aside those 30 minutes, you can identify something that really does something for your spirit, whether it's praying, reading a book, doing some stretching exercises or calling a friend. So many moms say that it makes them a better mother when they are able to "nurture the nurturer" a little. Otherwise, how can you give when there's nothing left of you to give? Along these same lines, it is equally important that you develop a network of moms who are also at home with their children. Who better can we share our joys and frustrations with than other moms who face the same challenges day to day that we do? This can oftentimes be done through the local community, your church or you could even start one!
3. When the going gets tough, step away from it all.
Rather than blowing your stack when things hit a little too close to a nerve, try to step away for the moment to collect yourself. Even it means leaving a bowl of spilled cereal and milk on the floor for five minutes while you close your eyes and put it all in perspective. How tragic is it? How hard is it to clean up? It's probably not as bad as it seems at the moment, even though company's coming in ten minutes and you just mopped the floor, right? If you are able to distance yourself for a brief time, you will undoubtedly respond to the incident, rather than react to it -- big difference!
4. Stay in sync with your husband, and speak only with respect to and about each other.
As we all know, having children adds a new and wonderful dimension to the world of matrimony. There are times when our backgrounds, our priorities, our beliefs or our own rearing will dictate that we feel differently from each other about certain parenting issues. What is the most important thing to consider when making decisions together that involve your children? Show unity. Even if you have to take turns backing off at times, for the most part a little work will allow you to compromise and grow stronger together as a result. And your children will see a united front, which has got to be more important than the outcome of any one decision vs. another. The united front will demonstrate to your children your respect for each other and your desire to give them a solid foundation on which to build their own values and character. We've all heard the expression "a stable home-life." I believe this one point to be a vertebrae in the backbone of that phrase.
5. Make special time for your children.
As in item #1, we can always budget a little time for the important things in life. Right now, as a stay-at-home or work-at-home parent, the important thing is your kids, right? I'm always amazed at how much my children respond to me when I've taken an hour to read to them or play Candy Land with them or push them on the swing set, offering 100% of my attention to them for that hour. They need it, and it shows in their behavior. When they act up and get obnoxious, all I have to do is ask myself, "How much direct time have I spent with them today?" Sometimes the answer to that question answers the question about why they're acting up! The time I'm talking about is above and beyond the usual preparing lunch for them, wiping their faces, helping them pick up their toys and bathing them. I mean direct contact doing something fun and maybe even educational.
6. Keep current with the news.
Have you ever gone to a social gathering without your children and felt at a loss for conversation because the things you deal with day to day are far removed from the working world and the things with which childless people deal? It can be uncomfortable, to say the least. That's why it is so important to be able to keep abreast of current events on a regular basis so that you can form intelligent opinions and be able to offer stimulating conversation to others, even if it's just your husband at times! He probably gets to listen to the news everyday on his way to the office. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to talk to him about world events over dinner rather than the number of times you caught your toddler trying to tickle the goldfish today? In addition to allowing you to talk to other adults, it affords you a little self-respect, rather than self-depreciating thoughts about being removed from the world.
7. Speak to your children on a level slightly higher than their own.
Do this and your children will be gently coerced into pulling their own vocabularies along. Baby talk sounds cute and children do respond to it, but do they learn from it? Not at all. Language skills are being developed at warp speed right now, and allowing your children to challenge themselves with context clues (remember that phrase?) is a great way to prepare them for school. If spoken to intelligently, your child will be at a much greater advantage than the child who is spoken down to or with the use of baby talk. When discussing baby talk, I also refer to using the same incorrect pronunciations back to them that your children use to you, no matter how cute they are.
8. Remember the good things your mom did and do them.
It's funny how the little things in life don't take on much meaning until we experience them again as adults. Take a little stroll down Memory Lane, and try to remember something special that your mom did for you periodically, something that you really enjoyed or made you feel special. Is it something that you can do for your kids, too? If done repeatedly, would it create a lasting, fond memory for them, too? As an example, when I was little, my mom used to swing by the corner bakery around each holiday and pick up a special decorated bakery cookie just for me. It was no big deal, but it created enough of a tradition in my mind that I still think of it 30 years later. (Plus they were good cookies!) It was a small gesture that told me that my mom was thinking of me while she was out running errands. If traditions can be started at the same time, all the better!
9. Let your kids hear you say only good things about others.
Our children mirror our behavior, right? And it only makes sense that they do. We are their first role models, so we better be good ones! If all they hear is us being kind and charitable when discussing others, it stands to reason that they will do the same. Additionally, it puts us in the healthy practice of saying only kind things about others, which is a virtuous habit to perpetuate anyway, around children or not! If all our children hear is negative criticism, they will adopt the notion that we are here to act as judge and jury over the actions of others rather than seeing the good in those around us.
10. Read to your kids daily.
What a great way to stimulate the mind and whet the appetite for learning and reading. Studies strongly show that children to whom books are read daily have a much more avid desire to read successfully themselves and are more likely to read for pleasure as they get older. When they can hear and learn the words that go along with the pictures that they see concurrently, the stories come to life and allow their imaginations to soar. Better than that, though, it means special time for you and your kids, whether after breakfast or right before bedtime. Children need this kind of interaction with the special adults in their lives!
11. Foster a hobby/interest or two.
If your child can see you making time for a special activity, it is more likely that he or she will find interest in a certain hobby or pastime, too. These types of things can develop into lifelong talents, in addition to being enjoyable side interests. That aside, a hobby for just you allows you some time to pursue something that you enjoy and that stimulates your senses. Don't we all need that periodically? It could be something as simple as doing the daily crossword puzzle or tending to plants. Or it can be something more intense such as needlework or writing short stories. The point is do more for yourself than just what it takes to get you and your family through the day!
12. Start early teaching your kids.
The following list represents a few things that some parents tend to put off until a rainy day. Chances are, by that time it's too late for the children to be able to appropriately incorporate these behaviors into their repertoire of good conduct and virtuous activities. This is something of a potpourri of things for them to learn, but nonetheless they should be taught, and early.
Prayer - Children should understand that as much as you love them, there is a God who loves them even more. Prayer builds that relationship, and if started early, can lead to a life of spirituality that will guide them through the tough and the great times.
Money management - Just simple talks at the grocery store about why you don't care to purchase certain items can foster an early appreciation for money and how far it goes. Or while your child is dropping coins in his piggy bank, you can explain how money should be handled so that it's not wasted.
Virtues/fables/parables; honesty, integrity, character - Aesop's Fables are a great way to introduce children to the virtues in life. Bill Bennett also offers a book called The Book of Virtues which offers great stories for kids on the less tangible things in life that offer us value and give us character.
Etiquette - Mealtime, respect for adults, saying "please" and "thank you" and "excuse me", manners and writing thank you notes -- Sadly, these are lost arts in some families. As parents, we need to teach them early so that they are a built-in part of our kids.
To think of others' feelings, sometimes before our own - Here again, this is something that our culture no longer promotes, unfortunately. We now live in a society which grossly supports getting all we want for ourselves, regardless how it affects others. We can see it today in road rage, for example. If the parents of the up-and-coming generation do we all we can to reverse that, maybe we can turn our culture around and back to the days when people had consideration for others, too.
Physical activity and exercise - Many children are encouraged to park themselves in front of a TV for hours on end, because it's a convenient babysitter for the parents. Granted, there are times, like the very long and cold days of winter, when there simply isn't anything else to do. Video and computer games are another culprit! And we wonder why there are so many overweight, slothful children out there! As a rule, there are much healthier ways for kids to get entertainment. It takes some imagination on our part, but it's well worth the effort. And it will teach them to get active and creative at an early age.
Moderation - Here again, our society is really into "bigger and more is better." Not always! Not when it teaches a child to be self-indulgent and possessive! And in some places, those are the types of children that are out there today. One day, our kids will be going to school with them, and they will be exposed to that kind of thinking. And I believe it comes from the lazy parents who will offer anything to their children to keep them out of their hair or to keep them from making a scene. Typically, these same parents don't care to do the work that goes along with raising kids. If taught early that moderation is appropriate, it will become commonplace for our children to limit the bad things that seem so good at the time, but in reality are bad for them.
A PRACTICAL WAY TO TEACH CHILDREN RESPONSIBILITY
Copyright 2007 Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller - All rights reserved - Used with permission.
http://effectiveparenting.org/ - For free e-mail parenting tips sign up: www.biblicalparenting.org
Some children can't seem to do anything without getting distracted. One mom, Heather, said, "When I tell my five-year-old son, James, to go get his shoes on because we've got to leave, he doesn't come back. When I go look, I find him sitting on the floor playing with his cars. And it's not just his shoes. Whenever I tell him to do something he gets sidetracked. I have to yell at him continually to get anything done."
Heather needs to use her frustration to identify the cause of the problem. James is easily distracted, but the deeper issue has to do with irresponsibility. Yes, he is only five years old, but James needs to learn to follow through with a job his mom gives him. This is the beginning of responsibility training.
Most children don't naturally feel an internal weight of responsibility. You can help develop it by watching your kids accomplish assignments and waiting for them to report back. Heather may say, "James, we've got to go so please get your shoes and bring them back to me. I'm going to wait right here in the doorway for you to report back."
As you wait, watch for distraction. At first James may need very close monitoring but as he realizes that he needs to report back and that Mom hasn't forgotten about the job, he will feel the pressure to accomplish the task. Children who need constant reminders lack the character quality of responsibility. They need closer supervision, smaller tasks, and more frequent times of checking in.
Even older children sometimes have a problem with irresponsibility. Yelling isn't necessary more accountability is. It takes more work to wait or watch but your investment now will give your children a valuable gift. Responsibility is the ability to complete a task even when no one is watching.
Responsibility training happens in a good instruction process. In Matthew 25, Jesus told a parable about three stewards who were given talents and the responsibility to invest them. Two of the stewards were faithful; one was not. God wants us to be faithful stewards and the roots of faithfulness are taught to children as you teach them to follow directions and report back.
For more on how to build a good Instruction Routine with your children, read the book, "Good and Angry: Exchanging Frustration for Character in You and Your Kids."
TIPS AND TIDBITS
Find the Lowest Gas Prices ~ Enter a zip code to find locations - Updated nightly.
http://autos.msn.com/everyday/gasstations.aspx This is also a good indicator of the cost of living in various parts of the country, in case of relocating.
Living A Shared Passion to Nurture and Defend Families! ~ Focus on the Family is a Christian ministry that does just that! Find
A Wealth of Information at
www.family.org! Do a search on any topic connected to the family. The focus on the May 10 radio broadcast was Manners. A search on this site led me to 240 links to the topic of Manners!
Parental Theories ~ "Before I got married I had six theories about bringing up children; now I have six children, and no theories." -- John Wilmot
Worry gives a small thing a big shadow. -- Swedish Proverb
A day hemmed in prayer is less likely to unravel.
A Quick Tip Regarding Bee Stings ~ Thanks to Peggy Murray in Virginia for this tip! If you get stung by a bee, just place an old copper penny (clean) over the wound area and tape down for 15 minutes. It takes away the pain. Of course, if a person is allergic to bee stings, go directly to the emergency room. -
(It's also a good idea to always keep Benadryl on hand for allergies. Further advice from www.babycenter.com: "If your child is allergic to bee stings, peanuts, or shellfish, or if he has some other type of life-threatening allergy, carry an epinephrine kit with you and keep another one in your first-aid kit." - Lois.)
Toss Outdated Mixes ~ Throw away all outdated pancake, Bisquick, muffin, cookie, cake and brownie mixes you have in your home. A $2.00 box of pancake mix is
not worth your life. Mold that forms in pancake mix can cause a life threatening allergic reaction. You may not see it either.
http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/pancake.asp - Thanks to Carolyn Cyphers in Virginia for reminding me of this!
Deer and Rabbit Repellant ~ 1 beaten egg, 1/2 cup milk, 1 Tbsp. oil, 1 Tbsp. liquid dish soap, 1 tsp. garlic powder. Mix together, pour into a gallon jug and fill the jog with water. Shake well and transfer to spray bottle as needed. Label both. Shake spray bottle well before each use. For the first month of "training," spray generously on plant leaves once per week or after a rain, then spray once per month after that. - Jennifer Swanson is a professional organizing consultant, popular speaker and media guest. She publishes a free monthly e-newsletter that is designed to help you simplify your life. For more tips, visit www.JenniferSwanson.com - Used by permission
Warning: Strawberry Meth ~ Drug dealers are selling flavored crystal methamphetamine known as "Strawberry Quick." It looks like Pop Rocks candy and sizzles in your mouth. Read more about this at http://www.snopes.com/horrors/drugs/candymeth.asp - Thanks to Paula Archer in Ohio and Miranda Ching in Hawaii for alerting us to this!
Deadly Tornado in Kansas ~ 25 aerial shots of Greensburg, Kansas. It's unbelievable that only twelve people lost their lives in this recent devastation. Please pray for the families in this area!
http://www.kansas.com/static/slides/050507tornadoaerials/ They had a short warning period which saved many lives.
Turn up the volume on your computer. - Thanks to Carol Miller in PA for steering me to this link!
SOLAR HANGING LAMPS TO CUT WAY DOWN ON YOUR LIGHT BILL
I would like to submit the following tip to your newsletters. Maybe it will help some folks!
There was a recent tip in the Dollar Stretcher newsletter about using a solar yard lamp during a thunderstorm. I can take that one step further.
When I lived with two roommates, we had little extra spending money. We were always looking for ways to save a buck or two. Electricity was one area where we thought we had done enough, but we were wrong!
During a trip to a local hardware store to pick up some nails, we noticed that there were TWO types of solar yard lamps available - fixed (on a spike or stake), or hanging (from a hook, sometimes connected to a stake). We saw that it was only $20 for a three-pack of solar lamps (I've since seen four packs for the same price, on sale). We bought two packs of them and six of those pretty plant hangers that people sometimes use for their hanging plants (the ones that look like pretty shelf brackets, but with hooks).
When we got home, we mounted the plant hangers over or next to four windows in our house & put the solar lamps on them. Then, we hung the other two on the house, next to the front and back doors. In the late afternoon or early evening, we would open up the blinds to allow the sunlight to "charge" the indoor lights. The outdoor lights took care of themselves. At night, we had free household lighting that would last until sunrise if we'd charged them long enough! We kept a piece of nice material in rooms that we needed to sleep in, in order to cover the lights when it was time to go to sleep.
The day after we started doing this, we had a neighbor call us to let us know that we'd left both our porch lights on overnight. We asked if it had disturbed her. "No," she said, "I was just worried about your electric bill. Actually, I felt safer when I came home from work and they were on, because I could see to put my key into the lock!" "Well," said my roommate, "You'll feel safer every night then, because we're leaving them on from now on - in fact, we can't turn them off!
They're solar lamps and the power is free!"
So, we had this great 10 year old cat named Jack who just recently died. Jack was a great cat and the kids would carry him around and sit on him and nothing ever bothered him. He used to hang out and nap all day long on this mat in our bathroom.
Well we have 3 kids and at the time of this story they were 4 years old, 3 years old and 1 year old. The middle one is Eli. Eli really loves chapstick. LOVES it. He kept asking to use my chapstick and then losing it. So finally one day I showed him where in the bathroom I keep my chapstick and how he could use it whenever he wanted to but he needed to put it right back in the drawer when he was done.
Last year on Mother's Day, we were having the typical rush around and try to get ready for Church with everyone crying and carrying on. My two boys are fighting over the toy in the cereal box. I am trying to nurse my little one at the same time I am putting on my make-up. Everything is a mess and everyone has long forgotten that this is a wonderful day to honor me and the amazing job that is motherhood.
We finally have the older one and the baby loaded in the car and I am looking for Eli. I have searched everywhere and I finally round the corner to go into the bathroom. And there was Eli. He was applying my chapstick very carefully to Jack's . . . rear end. Eli looked right into my eyes and said, "chapped." Now if you have a cat, you know that he is right -- their little rear ends do look pretty chapped. And, frankly, Jack didn't seem to mind.
And the only question to really ask at that point was whether it was the FIRST time Eli had done that to the cat's behind or the hundredth.
And that is my favorite Mother's Day moment ever because it reminds us that no matter how hard we try to civilize these glorious little creatures, there will always be that day when you realize they've been using your chapstick on the cat's back side.
