Annoying Little Fruit Flies

With all the summer bounty, we've been having fruit flies in our kitchen. I put some apple vinegar (to attract them) and a drop of liquid soap (to trap them) in a tiny glass and covered it with plastic wrap. I poked some large holes in the plastic wrap. It works!

Next, I'm going to try something similar for the mosquitoes in the backyard.

Everything

Network of Love

I believe in the power of positive energy. I happen to call that energy, God. Being an engineer, I look at it as a huge network system with nodes and connections. That's all we are - connections of God's loving energy. The positive connections are our love (that we can only get through God) which pushes through the network. The negative energies stay stagnant and die because they can't grow in the network. Prayer is like a push of that energy (God's love) that forces it out further into the network. I know it's weird, but it works for me.

When we hear the expression, "burning bridges," it is important to understand that we are cauterizing that relationship. A new link/node has to be built to re-create that bond/relationship through amends. I wish I had understood this earlier in life. I share my mistakes with you so that you don't have to make them.

This does not mean we have to link-up with all nodes. If it isn't a healthy relationship, we bypass that node to a positive one. It's that simple. We don't have to damage it, we just move like a magnet to the closest positive node to keep the positive life-force alive. It's like a beating heart - your network of love. It needs love to stay alive.

Remember your chemistry class? I know, it's painful for me to remember, too. My dad was a chemistry teacher. I remember as a little girl him tutoring students with these red balls and sticks that he'd put together to make a 3D visual. I was always fascinated with that. I wish he had been my chemistry teacher. The water molecular structure I've shown is how I picture the love network.

Recycling Your Used Coffee Grinds

This blog is from Huddler's Green Home Community

Did you know that the average American consumes about 3 cups of coffee a day? That’s a lot of used coffee grinds going into the trash.

There are actually many ways you can recycle and reuse your old coffee grinds to help preserve the environment and maintain your health. And for other ways to green your caffeine, check out the wiki all about having an eco-cup o' joe or maybe even look into drinking organic coffee!

A Cup of Joe Goes a Long Way

You’d be surprised at just how many different methods have worked for people:

• Touch up furniture and other wood scratches with grounds and a Q-tip.
• Sprinkle around areas where pesky insects, slugs and snails dwell to drive them away.
• Mix with soil as a natural fertilizer for plants.
• Dye clothing or paper.
• Rub into your dog as an organic flea dip.
• Fill old nylons and hang in your closet or fridge to repel odors.
• Use to fill old pin cushions.
• Scrub away grease and grime from pots and pans.
• Throw on ashes before cleaning out the fireplace to reduce dust from spreading.
• Feed to worms to help with your garden.
• Rub on your hands to eliminate odors.
• Mix ¼ grinds with one egg white and massage onto face like a mud pack.
  

If you’re not an avid coffee drinker but you live near a coffee shop or cafe, you can always ask them for the old grinds. Places like Starbucks actually give bags of used grinds away to people who use them for their home and gardens.

Recycling is just one way that we can help maintain the natural beauty of our environment, so next time you drink a cup of coffee save those coffee grinds for future use.

Study Baskets

A dear and long-term friend of my gave me the most thoughtful gift, so I thought I would share the idea with others. She gave me a basket filled with spiritual study supplies that sits beside my chair where I do my devotions, reading, and studying. It is so handy and filled with the most useful tools that I don't have to get up and search for these things.

She filled my basket with a composition book for ideas and notes, a note pad to jot down those to-do items that float around in my head and distract me, an ink pen, a devotional book, and note cards to jot a note when I'm thinking of someone. Isn't this a wonderful gift?

Luke 11:1 tells us that Jesus had a "certain place" that He went for prayer and fellowship with His Father.

Our Church Rocks!

A ROCK SOLID LIFE

Music captures the senses and expresses emotions we didn't
know we had inside. We hear a song and realize it reflects our
desires, our dreams for the future and sometimes, our biggest
fears. And if we listen carefully we might even hear a longing for
purpose, a desire for a fresh start, and a search for God. -HCC

Fruits of the Spirit

Do you remember the 9 Fruits of the Spirit?

love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control

Galatians 5:22-23

Keeping Score

Are you a score keeper? Do you feel like you're winning and your spouse is bankrupt? If so, challenge yourself to a week of service by doing the lowliest task. Go the extra mile without being a scorekeeper.

31 Days to Pray for Your Children

31 Days to Pray for Your Children

Sugar Ants

Now that spring is here, I've noticed the little sugar ants scouting around my kitchen. I heard that coffee grounds sprinkled around the outside of your house will prevent them from coming in. Starbucks gives away their used coffee grounds, so I picked up a bag. We'll see if it works.

Your Destiny

Your Destiny by Frank Outlaw
Watch your thoughts, for they become your words. Watch your words, for they become your actions. Watch your actions, for they become your habits. Watch your habits, for they become your character. Watch your character, for that becomes your destiny.

Get Serious About What You Are Eating

Get Serious About What You Are Eating
Steps to Help You Change What You Eat
-A good friend of mine put these steps together from different resources. She lost weight following these steps and looks and feels great!

Promise Yourself That You Will Eat Better From Now On
Don’t think that you can completely change every bad eating habit overnight. Take small steps and decide everyday that you can become healthier.

Take Daily Supplements
Benefiber, Multi-vitamin, Vitamin D, B-12 & Omega 3

Smaller Portions of Meats, Rice, Potatos, Pastas & No Seconds
No seconds except for veggies and fruits.
I stayed on this step for 4 months before moving on.

Add More Fresh Fruits and Fresh Veggies to Your Meals
Don’t smother foods in extra sugars and cream sauce. Give up creamy salad dressings. Add fresh spinach to beans, peas, salads, soups, tomato sauces.

Get Moving
Walk, cardio, yoga, jogging, etc.
It’s always hard to carve out the time for exercise.

Give Up Sodas, Diet Sodas & The Crystal Lites
And anything else overly processed, sugared and/or preserved.
Hidden sugars are everywhere.

Give Up the Fried Foods, Fast Foods & Processed Foods
Don’t buy anything with trans fats, partially or fully hydrogenated vegetable oils. Give up the processed cheeses.
See You the Owner’s Manual by Michael F. Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet C. Oz, M.D.
Don’t go looking for these foods. If you must eat them, just eat less of them.

Get Serious About White Carbohydrates
Substitute sweet potatos, brown rice and whole wheat breads.

Eat More Olive Oils, Nuts & Seeds, Avocados, Dark Chocolate &Olives
See the Flat Belly Diet edited by Liz Vaccariello.

Get Serious About White Sugar
What’s worse, sugar or sugar substitute? Who knows.

Deviled Eggs - With Angelic Ease

I wanted to share a tip for an easy way to make the deviled-egg filling. Place the hard-boiled yolks, mayonnaise, and dill relish in a sandwich bag. Seal the bag after letting the air out. Mash up the contents until it's a smooth consistency. Cut the tip off of the bag, and squeeze into each egg. It can even be swirled for a fancy presentation. When you are finished, toss the bag.

For perfect boiled eggs, place the raw eggs in water that covers them about one inch. Once the eggs come to a boil, remove them from the heat, cover, and let sit for 17 minutes. Cool them by running them under the cold tap.

Enjoy!

Winter and Spring

These are 2 of the 4 seasons. Isn't it amazing the change in just 2 months? These pictures are of the same location.

Kitchen Garden

We started a kitchen garden with sweet bell peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, watermelon, and peppers. We planted the tomatoes in different locations in our yard as a test. We decided to plant mostly in the corner by our compost because of the rich runoff. It also gets natural water and sunlight. We mixed the compost with garden soil. I'll log the progress to see if it turns out to be a good location.

Calorie Count

I've tried various diets (for a day or two because that's the longest I can go). I'm just not a dieter, but I'd like to get a few pounds off before summer. I finally realized that I am most successful when I count my calories. I found this website (click on logo). It's not hard to keep track once you tab your basic foods. The blueberry smoothie that I mention in my blog is 297 calories. An hour of Jazzercise burns about 391 calories.

No, I haven't lost a pound tracking my calories, but I did realize that I could trade some foods that I was eating with surprisingly high calories for some foods that I prefer that had less calories. It's all about keeping the balance.

A friend and I have been keeping daily food journals and emailing it to each other. It's been interesting AND keeping us accountable - even when we splurge. It's been fun.

What healthy foods to you eat? Share your ideas!

I Have Arrived

Today, an older African-American lady and I were loading groceries into our trunks. Our cars were parked beside each other. She was telling her friend while looking at me, "I Have Arrived." She smiled at me as if she was including me in the conversation, so I said, "I'm sure glad somebody has." She laughed. I asked her what she meant by that. She said it's when you get to a place that you know you've arrived and you know that you're there because you no longer rush or worry and are completely at peace with yourself and others. I thought it was an interesting comment, particularly for Easter.

I told her I was going to post her comment in my blog. She just chuckled and told me to have a blessed day as she got into her car.

Have you arrived? What does it mean to you?

Facial Scrub

In a book, Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me by Paula Begoun, she suggests mixing baking soda with your facial cleanser for a facial scrub. There are so many wonderful uses for baking soda. This is one of her many good tips.

Chores and Rewards

I struggle with the best balance between chores, responsibilities, and allowance. There are lots of ideas out there. If you have one that works, please let me know.

On a TV show, I saw an interesting concept. There were tasks written on Popsicle sticks. Each task was worth a particular amount. So, I thought we'd try this plan.

I created pockets out of scrapbook paper for each of my children to put their completed chores. I have one larger pocket with all of the chores that they can choose from to earn their allowance. They have to select these tasks without being asked to do them. There are money values placed on the tasks which are differentiated with colored tape. Once they have completed a task, they move the stick to their pocket. At the end of the week, I total the amount on their sticks and give them their allowance. The different price points gives them incentive to earn more if they're working toward something.

I placed these pockets on our family board. I painted a small wall in our kitchen with magnetic paint and then chalkboard paint. I put magnets on the back of the pockets so that they would hang on the wall. We keep our schedules and messages here. Now, we have our chore sticks.

Spring Blooms in Our Yard

The Legend of the Dogwood

There is a Christian legend of unknown origin that proclaims that the cross used to crucify Jesus was constructed of dogwood. As the story goes, during the time of Jesus, the dogwood was larger and stronger than it is today and was the largest tree in the area of Jerusalem. After his crucifixion, Jesus changed the plant to its current form: he shortened it and twisted its branches to assure an end to its use for the construction of crosses. He also transformed its inflorescence into a representation of the crucifixion itself, with the four white bracts cross-shaped, which represent the four corners of the cross, each bearing a rusty indentation as of a nail and the red stamens of the flower, represents Jesus' crown of thorns, and the clustered red fruit represent his blood. (copied from Wikipedia)

Dying Easter Eggs

We added a drop of oil to the dye to get the tie-dye effect. Palm Sunday was beautiful, so we dyed Easter eggs on our picnic table in the sunshine.

That's My King

Rhema - A rhema is a verse or portion of Scripture that the Holy Spirit brings to our attention with application to a current situation or need for direction.

Easy Ways to Peel Potatoes and Grapefruit

My Friend, the Crockpot

If I can cook dinner in the crockpot, then my day goes so much smoother. I've got cabbage and sausage covered in chicken broth cooking right now. It smells so good. I'm just too tired to start cooking at dinnertime. This way, I enjoy the meal so much better.

If you have a good crockpot recipe, please send it my way!

Journaling

During each pregnancy, I started a journal for that child. I write my feelings to them. I document milestones and funny expressions.

But between us, the real reason I journal is to have documentation to give to their therapists when they become adults and start blaming me for all their problems. It's insurance. I know I won't be able to remember, so I'll have that little journal book to back me up. ; )

Brown Sugar

I read that if you put a marshmallow in your container of brown sugar, it won't clump. So, I tried it several months ago. It works!

Who's Versus Whose

I always have trouble remember which to use. I had to come up with the right one in my last blog post.

So, here's the bottom line: If you can replace the word with who is or who has, use who's. If not, use whose.

Now, if I can just remember when to use effect or affect.

Clean Floors

Don't clean floors make a house feel so much cleaner? For some reason, it's the one chore I do the least, but should do the most - simply because of how good it makes me feel when the floors are clean. I have several friends whose HUSBANDS sweep the floor every night after dinner. What's up with that? I don't even dare ask for that one. I've tried to add it to the chore list for my children, but I don't enforce it.

Oh, now I'm remembering why I don't like cleaning the floors. It was MY chore growing up. Oh, by the way, this brings up another idea. Rather than saving for our kids' college, we've been thinking about starting a housecleaning fund to help save our girls' marriages. From the looks of it, it might be a problem for them.

I have found two products that I'd like to tell you about. One is the magnetic broom (see pic below). I'm not sure of the real name, but that's what I call it. A friend told me about it. Her hardwoods always look so clean. I've only found two places that sell them, World Market and Space Savers. I now have one upstairs and one downstairs. They're great on tile (bathrooms, kitchens, etc.), too.

The other product has been around forever! It is a Rainbow Vacuum Cleaner. I bought mine used (practically brand new) off of craigslist. I swear by this vacuum. If anyone has a vacuum that can beat how good the Rainbow cleans, then tell me about it. My neighbor loaned us his when we installed hardwoods. The dust was everywhere. We put on the air cleaning filter, and it sucked up so much dust. I was amazed what this machine can do. Don't pay full (fool) price!

Library Books

I am all about going to our local library. When we purchased the house (pre-children) that we currently live in, one of the perks was that the library was at the entrance of our neighborhood. It has been a wonderful amenity. I can't recall the last time that I purchased a book.

Our library has the online feature to login to an account and request books. The library will pull these books and place them on hold and send an email notification.

When I hear of a good book, I immediately go to my online library account and request it. There is typically a waiting list for the popular books. I have found that by the time I finish reading the book that I'm currently reading, I get an email that my new book is waiting for me. The timing has worked out nicely.

I thought I'd share the tip.

Recycling Old Calendars

I was getting ready to toss a 2008 calendar today. The pictures were local since it was a town planning calendar that we received free from our sweet town. I decided to cut out the pictures from the calendar to put into our craft box.

Then, the idea came that I could use each month's picture as the title page for each month in my annual family scrapbook. The month is printed on the picture, so it's perfect. It's also local pictures, so that is a bonus, too.

Recipe Rotational - Menu Planning

I wish that my educators had been more honest with me. NO ONE told me how many hours I would spend in the kitchen once I had children! I had NO idea. If I had, I would have spent less time on my piano lessons, math homework, chatting about the boys, and practicing for dance team. I would have been collecting and putting together kid-friendly, healthy menus to make my life easier now! It has been one of my biggest challenges. It's mental. For so many years, it seemed like cooking was all about being Betty Homemaker - which I fought for a long time.

When I finally got it into my thick skull that preparing a good, healthy meal for my family was one of the best ways that I can serve them, it became much easier. Now, I cook with love.

What I've done is to collect our favorite (realistic) recipes and put them into a one-inch 3-ring binder. I actually slide the recipes into sheet protectors. I keep "recipes to try" in the pockets of the binder. If it isn't a keeper, then I toss the recipe. If it's a keeper (the entire family has to agree on), then I put it in a sheet protector and add it to the rotation. So, I flip open my recipe binder and look to see what's up for this week. Once I cook the recipe, I put it in the back of the binder so that the recipes keep rotating.

I have tried MANY different menu plan ideas - and this one has worked best for me, so far.

Please share you menu planning ideas. I'm always open for new ideas.

Sorting Utensils

A friend had a great suggestion. He said to load the utensils in the dishwasher by item - spoons in one slot, forks in another, etc. It makes it easy to unload! Great idea!

Peaceful Sleep and Meditation

Deepak Chopra's CD called Balancing: Body, Mind & Soul is a great tool to relax you into sound rest. If it disturbs your partner's sleep, then get headphones and let it put you into a deep sleep. It is also great to listen to for a mid-day break.

Another meditation cd that I recommend is a personal Musical Soul Portrait by Richard Shulman. This is an incredible experience. I received my own personal musical soul portrait as a gift. A Musical Soul Portrait is a private recorded session of your own personalized music for meditation, healing, relaxation and inner exploration. Richard talks with you about your intent for spiritual growth and for support through the music for any issue for the Highest Good. Richard then goes to his piano and records a musical journey unique for you. A Musical Soul Portrait session will give you music (he mails to you) which follows the path of your own Divine connection. Each one hour session includes a recorded musical journey which can awaken memories and visions, and activate your own soul mission.

The Love Quilt

When my children are having trouble going to sleep or having a nightmare, we sew a love quilt. I came up with this idea from a suggestion to outline the four sides of a box, then have them open the surprise in the box (a release of butterflies or a bunny rabbit or whatever they want). Well, we would get through this meditation box rather quickly, and my daughter would still be awake. So, I came up with the idea of making a love quilt. We go through each square which represents one person that loves them. We sew that square to the next one which is another person/friend that loves them. Once we have gone through as many squares as we can think of, we sew one large piece of fabric on the back of the quilt to hold it all together. This large piece represents God's love. I tuck them in tight under the covers and tell them to know that they are safe under their love quilt, and that they are very loved.

Sleep is so important. I wish everyone a good night's rest.

Foster Care and Adoption

I work with the NC Foster and Adoptive Parent Association (NCFAPA). Are you even aware how many children do not have a permanent home? The numbers are staggering. They just want a place to call home.

The following website lists children that are waiting for a permanent home: http://www.adoptuskids.org/Child/ChildSearch.aspx

Baking with Applesauce

I'm going to try substituting applesauce for oil in my baked goodies. Does anyone have some good recipes they'd like to share?

From what I've read, a general rule is to use half as much applesauce as you would oil and to retain some oil in the recipe (two tablespoons).

Laundry

Does your laundry pile up to your ears? I finally found a system that works. I have a 3-pocket laundry basket that we sort-as-we-go (whites, colors, and jeans). Once a basket gets full, I toss it in the wash in the mornings when I first get up. It's usually dried and folded before the kids go to school. This plan keeps it from getting to be too much.

I got this idea from a former boyfriends' mother. I think I liked the organized lifestyle of this family more than the boyfriend. They had some great ideas on keeping the family flowing. They had a linen closet in their bathroom. The father (an engineer) designed this home. Although it wasn't large by today's standards, it was very well planned. The linen closet was wide enough for three laundry baskets (whites, colors, and jeans). When one basket was full, it would get washed. Wouldn't it be great if the laundry room was on the back side of the closet so that the clothes could be pulled through to the other side? I wish I had a large-enough bathroom to have a big linen closet like theirs. I've made my system work, though.

This process takes out an entire step of sorting. What system do you have for your laundry? Share your ideas!

Kitchen Towels

I have to share a quick tip. Food Lion has absorbent and soft kitchen towels as a specialty item right now. They washed nicely and came out fluffy. They were a great price, too. Grab some while they still have them. They're in the tiered baskets down the food aisles.

Juicing and Smoothies

I remember a time when my mother-in-law (MIL) was 40-something, and she was telling me about juicing to ease her stomach pains. I would roll my eyes behind her head (being the 20-something at that time). Please, forgive me, Dear MIL. I recently had to eat crow and call her to ask her more about it (now that I'm 40-something). After extensive tests and being told the pains were in my head (I thought they were in my stomach), I decided to try carrot juice. It IS every bit the miracle food that it is rumored to be. Once a day, I juice 5 carrots and one apple and slurp it down. I can feel it moving through my veins.

For my juicer, I purchased a Factory-Reconditioned Breville XXJE95XL Two Speed Juice Fountain Plus from Amazon.com for $89.99. I give it a thumbs up.

I've also discovered the health benefits of a good blueberry smoothie for breakfast. This idea came from my husband (yes, the son of the MIL). He's been making these for a long time while I turned my nose up at them. I mix a handful of frozen blueberries, a banana, soy milk, flax seed, and some honey. My kids even enjoy it! We start our day with these delicious drinks. I'm going to have to add the calories in them.

What's your favorite feel-good remedy?

Self-Tanning Lotion

Shorts season is almost here. From my limited research, it seems like L'Oreal Sublime Bronze Gradual Self-Tanning Lotion is the best for the money.

Anyone have better luck with other self-tanning lotions?

Jazzercise

Okay, I've decided to change my workout since I've been doing the same walk/run shuffle for years. I finally decided on Jazzercise. Why? Because it makes me smile while I'm doing it. Be sure to check out the different locations. The prices seem to vary based on how many classes are offered.

What exercise formula works best for you?

Compost and Gardening

We hope to plant a garden soon. We're going to experiment with a hanging (vertical) garden. If anyone has some ideas on this, please share them. Our thoughts are to plant tomatoes, squash, etc. in soil-filled buckets that would hang from a trellis. We saw this at Disney World Epcot's Living with the Land tour and loved it (see picture below).

In the meantime, I've been composting for many years. I keep a bowl by my kitchen sink and fill it up with trimmings from fruits, veggies, egg shells, and paper products - anything that decomposes. My hubby built a nice compost bin which I had him place beneath the kitchen window (on the back side of our house). When the kitchen bowl is full, I dump it out the window. I can't tell you how many friends have asked me what I just threw out the window. We have a good laugh when I show them the compost outside of my window. The soil around it is so rich. It hasn't smelled yet, and the deer seem to enjoy it.

Do you have any gardening tips? If so, please share them with me.

Ways to Save

1. Install a reverse osmosis water filter and give up bottled water
2. Bake your own bread and pizza dough
3. Bake your own goodies and give up Little Debbie's
4. Shop at Aldi's Foods and Wal Mart Super Center
5. Create a price comparison sheet. I've attached mine to help you get started.
6. Replace countertops with granite tiles rather than solid slabs
7. Shop for used items on craigslist.org before buying new.
8. Sell something on craigslist to raise the funds before you buy something off of craigslist. I call this my craigslist petty-cash funds.

Any good ideas on finding savings? I have a friend that so sweetly emails me when the department stores have their sales. She has a good handle on the clothes bargains.

The Birds and the Bees

It was during a Bible study, Your Girl by Vickie Courtney, about raising a pre-teen/teenaged daughters that I realized I needed to find some good books on this topic. A friend pointed me to A Series for the Christian Family:

Book 1: Why Boys and Girls Are Different
Book 2: Where Do Babies Come From
Book 3: How You Are Changing
Book 4: Sex and the New You
Book 5: Love, Sex, and God
Book 6: How to Talk Confidently with Your Child About Sex
Book 7: Human Sexuality: A Christian Perspective

Passport 2 Purity (Family Life)

What worked for you with your children? Please share any tips you may have.

Financial Peace University by Dave Ramsey

I highly recommend Dave Ramsey's financial wisdom. You can find out more on his website. You can also listen to Dave on the radio. He has a great program.

To save money, check out Dave's book, The Total Money Makeover at your local library. Then, download the forms below to get you started. My husband and I found the toughest part was sitting down and coming up with the budget. Once that task was behind us, it was simply a matter of allocating funds and finding places to cutback. It's a healthy exercise for every family!

I highly recommend Quicken to keep up with your finances. Many banks have a download option that pulls your account information straight into Quicken. A monthly budget is produced by the click of a button. It also makes taxes a snap.

I want to hear your Dave Ramsey success stories. Have you done the debt-free scream yet? Tell us about it - help keep us pumped!


Dave Ramsey’s Financial Forms

Dave's 7 Baby Steps

Allocated Spending Plan.pdf

Basic Quickie Budget.pdf

Breakdown of Savings.pdf

Complete.xls

Consumer Equity Sheet.pdf

Debt Snowball.pdf

FPU Cooridinator Application.pdf

Income Sources.pdf

Irregular Income Planning.pdf

Lump Sum Payment Planning.pdf

Major Components of a Healthy Financial Plan.pdf

Monthly Cash Flow Plan.pdf

Monthly College Planning.pdf

Monthly Retirement Planning.pdf

Prorata Plan.pdf

Recommended Percentages.pdf

The Great Credit Rebellion - Letter.pdf

Extra Payment Mortgage Calculator