Aren't Ya Fond of Arnica?

Chances are, you've never heard of Arnica, but you need to know about it. Arnica is a homeopathic medicine, which means:
A system for treating disease based on the administration of minute doses of a drug that in massive amounts produces symptoms in healthy individuals similar to those of the disease itself.

In an ointment, Arnica is used to reduce inflammation, heal wounds, soothe muscle aches, and treat sprains and bruises. I used this Arnica gel on a huge bruise on my hand (from a blood draw), and it made it much less visible and less painful overnight.

There are also Arnica Montana homeopathic tablets that are used for the reduction of pain and faster healing. A doctor recommended this to someone I know after cosmetic surgery. Dear Hubby has used both and he got some relief, though it's not a cure-all. If you decide to use these, they can be found at health food stores. Please follow the directions carefully, as too much of a good thing is not usually a good thing!

The Grocery Game, Part II

If you haven't read it yet, please read yesterday's post about The Grocery Game, because I'm continuing on that topic today.

I find that this system really does feel like a game, and I want to win. Every week I come home with a car load of groceries. Usually I haven't spent over $75, and I love to show Dear Hubby how well I did. You know how easy it is to walk out of the store with just a couple of bags for $50 or more! So it's really fulfilling to beat the system. Sometimes even the cashiers marvel at how well I've done. I'm not just talking about food, but also toiletries, razors, paper goods, and all the other things we need around the house.

There are a few things you need to know. The lists for each store are not published until either Saturday night or Sunday morning, and the coupons come out on Sunday. Therefore, in order to take advantage of this system, you have to do your shopping on Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday, before the next sale starts. It's not a perfect system. Sometimes I can't find the coupon that's listed, and sometimes I get to the store to see that the item I'm looking for has been wiped off the shelves. In that case I usually ask for a rain check so I can get it later for the same sale price. But, again, even with the few drawbacks, it's well worth the effort. It's also fun to run into other Grocery Gamers in the store. There's an instant camaraderie as you help each other find the item on the shelf that's on sale. (You can recognize them by their printed list.)

There are several ways to organize your coupons, as described on the website. But here is the way that is working best for me, after trying different things. First, use a Sharpie marker to mark the date and brand on the front cover of each coupon booklet. For example, this week there were 2 coupon books in the Sunday paper. I marked on the front of one: S 4-27 (for SmartSource April 27), and on the other R 4-27 (for Red Plum April 27). I then stand each week's coupons in a hanging folder in a standing file bin. That makes it easiest for me to find the coupons I need each week. You could clip them all, but I found that it took too much time to clip, sort, and file and then retrieve the coupons. You won't use all of them, but save them all, because you might be surprised what you're willing to get if it's completely free.

The advantages:

• We have tried new brands and new foods that we didn't think we'd like, because they're cheap this way. We've found all kinds of new things we like. You don't mind trying something new if it's not too expensive. (Note: don't go crazy and buy everything that's on sale. Try new things, but not all at one time. Concentrate on the things you know you will use. It's easy to get carried away at first and spend MORE than you normally would.)
  
• We have a big stock of the items we use all the time. I won't have to buy them again until they're at the rock-bottom price again.
  
• I am also able to buy things to share with a needy family that we know, and still not go above my grocery budget. You could also donate to a food pantry.
  
• We feast on whatever fresh produce is on sale: one week fresh pineapple, or fresh corn-on-the-cob, or pears -- yum!
  
• It makes me disciplined in my grocery shopping. I used to hate it, and put if off so long that it was a real chore, so it made me hate it more. Now I shop weekly and it's not so distasteful.
  
• There's always something in the house to eat.
  

In summary, we're eating better than ever and I feel really good about squeezing the most out of my grocery budget. I hope, if you have the time and enthusiasm, you'll give it a try also. I'd love to hear how you make it work.

The Grocery Game, Part I

I've been saving this tip for awhile, because it's a good one, but it's not for everyone. It's a method of getting really good deals on grocery items, but it takes some time to learn and get good at it. It's called The Grocery Game.

I didn't really think it would work for me, because I need and want a lot of specialty items like gluten-free, sugar-free, protein powder, etc. What I have found, though, is that I can save enough on my regular groceries to more than pay for those extras that we like. It takes work, but for me it is definitely worth it. So, if you can invest the time, you will reap the benefits.

The Grocery Game is a service that you pay for -- 63 cents per store per week. The service matches the sales at your store with the coupons that we all get, to get the rock-bottom lowest prices. They are computerized, and know the sale patterns, so they have you hold the coupons until an item goes on sale -- usually over a 12-week period.

You choose the list for the store(s) you use, and then go through the list for that week, clicking off the items you DON'T want, and then print the list of the items you DO want. It will tell you which coupons to use, and what the end price will be. If it's printed in green on the list, it's free after coupons. If it's printed in blue, it's at the lowest price it probably will be -- meaning, stock up on that if it's something you can use. If it's in black, it's not at the lowest price and you should only buy it if you need it right now. Over time, you get such a stash of groceries, you need to buy less and less each week.

I'll talk more about this tomorrow, and maybe even after that, but in the meantime, save ALL your coupons. It takes you a few weeks to pile up the coupons if you haven't been saving them already. You need to get organized to make this work, and I will give you some tips toward that end.

You can check out the website at www.thegrocerygame.com, where you can get a 4-week trial for only $1. If you put in my e-mail as the referral, and then later decide to subscribe, I will get credit for it. But I'm not recommending this because I want the referral -- I'm recommending it because I do it every week and it really works! My e-mail is debsft at yahoo dot com (change the at to @, close the gaps, and change the dot to a "." I must be careful about printing my e-mail on a web page). I started out with 4 stores, but now I subscribe to 3 stores -- Kroger, Albertsons, and Walgreens. Most weeks I only end up going to Kroger and Walgreens, but sometimes there are some super sales on items I want at Albertsons, too.

I don't spend less on groceries, I just get a lot more. I'm able to use the money I save on nutritional supplements. You can make it work for you.

Then and Now - Beccy

Today - our daughter-in-law Beccy (Rebecca), precious then and precious now. Just looking at these pictures makes me miss her (they live in Germany), but we will be blessed to see her and Barrett twice this year.

Magna Cart

The first time I saw this neat utility item, it belonged to my friend Ginger. I was fascinated with her Magna Cart Personal Handtruck, and made note to look for one. It is lightweight, folds up easily into a small, flat package, and can carry up to 150 pounds.

The next time I saw it was when I found my husband drooling over it in Big Lots. I said, "Buy it." And he did. We have used it to truck the recycling bin out to the curb, and I have folded it and put it in my vehicle to deliver stacks of soda cases to a shut-in relative.

Now, today, I saw them at Sam's Club for an even better price - just over $23. If you have any use for a 2-wheel dolly that you can easily transport in your car, I highly recommend this. The quality is outstanding. You'll love it.

10 Warning Signs from Dr. Bob

Today I'd like to give you some important information -- a list of 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer's, courtesy of Dr. Bob DeMaria, the self-proclaimed Drugless Doctor. I found this list really helpful, because it tells what is a result of normal aging and what is not. I hope it helps you, too. Dr. Bob's website has a lot of interesting videos -- check it out at www.druglessdoctor.com.

10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer's

1. Memory loss. Forgetting recently learned information is one of the most common early signs of dementia. A person begins to forget more often and is unable to recall the information later. What's normal - Forgetting names or appointments occasionally.

2. Difficulty performing familiar tasks. People with dementia often find it hard to plan or complete everyday tasks. Individuals may lose track of the steps involved in preparing a meal, placing a telephone call or playing a game. What's normal - Occasionally forgetting why you came into a room or what you planned to say.

3. Problems with language. People with Alzheimer’s disease often forget simple words or substitute unusual words, making their speech or writing hard to understand. They may be unable to find the toothbrush, for example, and instead ask for "that thing for my mouth.” What's normal - Sometimes having trouble finding the right word.

4. Disorientation to time and place. People with Alzheimer’s disease can become lost in their own neighborhood, forget where they are and how they got there, and not know how to get back home. What's normal - Forgetting the day of the week or where you were going.

5. Poor or decreased judgment. Those with Alzheimer’s may dress inappropriately, wearing several layers on a warm day or little clothing in the cold. They may show poor judgment, like giving away large sums of money to telemarketers. What's normal - Making a questionable or debatable decision from time to time.

6. Problems with abstract thinking. Someone with Alzheimer’s disease may have unusual difficulty performing complex mental tasks, like forgetting what numbers are for and how they should be used. What's normal - Finding it challenging to balance a checkbook.

7. Misplacing things. A person with Alzheimer’s disease may put things in unusual places: an iron in the freezer or a wristwatch in the sugar bowl. What's normal - Misplacing keys or a wallet temporarily.

8. Changes in mood or behavior. Someone with Alzheimer’s disease may show rapid mood swings – from calm to tears to anger – for no apparent reason. What's normal - Occasionally feeling sad or moody.

9. Changes in personality. The personalities of people with dementia can change dramatically. They may become extremely confused, suspicious, fearful or dependent on a family member. What's normal - People’s personalities do change somewhat with age.

10. Loss of initiative. A person with Alzheimer’s disease may become very passive, sitting in front of the TV for hours, sleeping more than usual or not wanting to do usual activities. What's normal - Sometimes feeling weary of work or social obligations?

The difference between Alzheimer's and normal age-related memory changes

Someone with Alzheimer's disease symptoms	Someone with normal age-related memory changes
Forgets entire experiences	Forgets part of an experience
Rarely remembers later	Often remembers later
Is gradually unable to follow written/spoken directions	Is usually able to follow written/spoken directions
Is gradually unable to use notes as reminders	Is usually able to use notes as reminders
Is gradually unable to care for self	Is usually able to care for self

Really Free Credit Reports

In these days of rampant identity theft, we all need to keep a close eye on our credit reports. Here's a way to do it efficiently. There are three major reporting agencies, Transunion, Equifax, and Experian. You are entitled to one free credit report from each agency per year. Therefore, if you space them properly, you can check your credit every four months. It will require making reminders for yourself, on a calendar or otherwise, but it's well worth the effort. For example, you could check Transunion each January, Equifax each May, and Experian each September, or on whatever schedule you choose.

You have to be careful to go to the correct website, because there are some copycat websites out there. The correct one is www.annualcreditreport.com. It will walk you through the steps. Be sure to check for both husband and wife if you are married.

I can testify that it's smart to keep an eye on your credit -- more than once they have mixed up our credit with one of our sons. And there are a lot of worse things that could be happening without you knowing it.

Pardon the pun, but it pays to be smart about your money!

Tennis Wonder

Spring is here, and it's time to get outside and get active again. If you play tennis, or would like to, or would like to teach someone to play, here's an idea for you. They now make a "Revolution Ball" for training in tennis that is soft, foamy, and moves slower than a tennis ball.

Not only does it make it easier to learn to play tennis, you can also use it to practice hitting against a garage door, without any damage. Believe me, it's a pretty good workout just hitting the ball to yourself against a wall or garage door, and it gets your hand-eye coordination back in order.

These are available at sporting goods stores (I found mine at Academy Sports), and they run between $5 and $6 for two balls.

Someone in your family is going to love these.

A Game for All

We're getting close to family reunion time, and I want to share a game that we enjoyed last summer at our reunion. My cousins Don and Nancy came and brought this wonderful game -- it has different names. Blongo Ball (shown in the picture), Ladder Ball, or Rodeo Golf.

The great thing was, we were able to play it inside in the large facility where we have our reunion, AND everyone could play, no matter what their age. We had a 5-year-old up against an 80-year-old, and they both had a blast.

You throw the soft balls (2 attached with a rope), and get points based on which rung of the ladder they land on. If you happen to knock your opponents blongo off the rack, all the better! You each get 3 blongos to throw, and the first team to reach 21 points wins. We had such fun.

I don't have a set yet, but I plan to have one. You can get them at some sporting goods stores, or order online at different places. Just do a Google search for Blongo Ball, Ladder Ball, or Rodeo Golf. Some sets stick in the ground, while others are free-standing. I understand that some sets use real golf balls -- not a great idea, trust me! Get the soft ones!

Sheet Trick

This is another extremely simple tip, but you know, if you solve a tiny problem that crops up week after week, that's one less recurring aggravation in this busy life.

Do you ever have trouble figuring out which way your fitted sheet goes on the bed? If it's striped like the one in the illustration, no problem. But with a solid color bottom sheet, I always seemed to try the wrong way first.

Solution: I have placed a safety pin in the corner of the sheet that goes to the top right-hand side of the bed. I do this on the bottom sheets for all our beds, and it stays on during the wash, so all I have to do is look for the safety pin. Now I always get the direction of the sheet right the first time.

Of course, for safety reasons you won't want to do this on beds used by little ones, but they probably have cribs or twin beds, which aren't so hard to make up.

Bonus tip: I normally don't have to fold sheets because I just wash them and put them right back on the bed.

We've Lost Our Lizard

But we know where he is. In memory of....our dear brother-in-law George, also known as "Lizard". His memorial service was yesterday, and lots of us wore lizard pins on our lapels. He was an amazing human being, and we will miss him a lot, until we see him again in heaven. It was a beautiful celebration of a beautiful life.

Finding It the Easy Way

Today's tip is extremely simple, and something I can't believe I didn't know until recently. I am quite computer proficient, but I honestly did not know this trick until our son Austin pointed it out to me. Have you ever tried hitting Ctrl F on your keyboard? (Hold down the Ctrl key while you also hit the F key.) No matter what page you're on -- a website or just one of your own documents -- it pulls up a "Find" tool. You can type in any word and it will search the document or web page for it. I have found this very useful just in the short time I've been using it. I think you will find lots of uses for it, too.

It pays to hang out with young people. They know stuff.

Cleaning with Collette

Today I have a guest poster -- my niece Collette. She's a beautiful young mom, and sensitive to chemicals as I am. I love this picture I took of her on the beach when she was 3 (?). Seems like yesterday. She has some tips for cleaning without toxic chemicals.

Collette writes:
I have found that the Method and Seventh Generation cleaners are the best. Method cleaners can be found at Target and are reasonably priced. Their website is www.methodhome.com.
They have a home detox kit, and the website also has a link for stores that sell the Method cleaners.

For those who are Swiffer addicts, they have an o-mop. The cloths that attach to it are compostable! They have everything you could possibly want for home and now spring cleaning. Method has a great free and clear line available too! Dish soap, dryer cloths, hand soap and laundry detergent. Seventh Generation does not have as big of a variety and can be found at any local health food store.

Another thing that I think your readers would love is how to clean their dryer vents. It helps improve the dryer's efficiency and prevents fires. We found our dryer lint brush at http://www.organize-it-online.com (I love this website). It costs around ten dollars and they offer a dryer hose cleaner too.

Thanks, Collette! I'm going to give these products a try!

Collette Today

Me? Eating at Mickey D's?

As a certified health nut (some would just say nut), I have pretty much given up eating fast food. Some places like Wendy's and Jack-in-the-Box have what should be good salads, but I kept getting salads that had way-less-than-fresh ingredients. So I gave up. Not having any small children, I had not been to McDonald's in years. But about a year ago, I drove through McDonald's with my friend Kristine and her girls to get their dinner, and Kristine told me their new salads were quite good.

Now I can really highly recommend their Southwest Grilled Chicken Salad. I have tried it in many different locations, even different states, and I haven't gotten a bad one yet. I don't know how they're able to manage to be that consistent. It's not perfect, as far as health goes, but it really beats any other fast food that I know about, and it's gluten-free. Here are the ingredients, as listed on McDonald's website:

Premium Southwest Salad with Grilled Chicken:
Grilled Chicken Breast Filet, Salad Mix, Southwest Vegetable Blend (, Roasted corn, black beans, roasted tomato, poblano pepper, lime juice, cilantro). Shredded Cheddar/Jack Cheese, Cilantro Lime Glaze, Chili Lime Tortilla Strips, Lime. (You can check the website for even more detail.)

It comes with a packet of Newman's Own dressing, but you don't need it because the Cilantro Lime Glaze is delicious and plenty. The only thing wrong with it (I think) is the high-fructose corn syrup in the Cilantro Lime Glaze, and I can live with that occasionally.

For less than $5, that's a pretty good deal! Give it a try and see what you think.

Afternoon Tea, Anyone?

Though this has been around a long time, I still run across people who don't know about Lipton Cold Brew Iced Tea. Dear Hubby practically lives on iced tea, so we go through a lot of this. You only have to put the tea bag in the cold water -- and in 5 minutes you have a pitcher of tea! We use family size so we only need 1 tea bag per 1/2 gallon of water.

My tastes run more toward green tea or herb tea. But I don't like hot drinks, so I make these into iced tea. Celestial Seasonings brand is my favorite. Steep 2 small herbal or green tea bags in a small amount of hot water, then add cool water to make one quart. Green tea comes mixed with very interesting flavors. I add a little liquid stevia to sweeten, and it's perfect.

Have you tried white tea? I think it's yummy, with a gentle and unique flavor. It comes from young tea leaves, has more antioxidants than other teas, and less caffeine. You need to steep it in water that is just below the boiling point, and only for about 2 or 3 minutes.

Go ahead and treat yourself to a "tea break".

Magnetized

Here's another tip for my quilt friends, but also for anyone who works with needles, pins, or even nails and screws.

My friend Jennifer showed me this strong magnet wand (see blue thing in picture), and it really does work. They are available at fabric and craft stores, perhaps even at someplace like Wal-mart.

I can't tell you how many times I've been working in my big easy chair and suddenly dropped my needle. I freeze and start the search, because I don't want it to end up in the chair and/or in anyone's tushy or foot. Now I keep this magnet wand with me as I'm working and whenever I drop a needle or a pin, I just wave it around and it is so strong it attracts the dropped hazard even from a short distance.

I wouldn't recommend bringing this magnet anywhere near a computer or laptop. We've all heard how magnets can damage them. It would probably be wise to even keep it away from your cell phone, since they are pretty much little computers now.

It's a cool tool.

Best Chip Clips Ever

Warning: This hint will not work for you unless you are, or you live with, a person who is handy and tool-savvy! Of course, that is not me, that is Dear Hubby in our household.

You know those hangers you get sometimes when you buy clothes --the kind with a plastic clip on each end? I ready this somewhere -- wish I could remember where -- and asked DH to do it. He cut off the clips from each end of the hanger, and made the most wonderful chip clips, or bag clips, or whatever you want to use them for. They're easy to use and hold tight. Of course, we use them to seal all kinds of things -- frozen veggie bags, crackers bags, etc. I never seem to have enough of these dandy clips.

How DH makes these:

• Cut off clip end of hanger with a band saw.
• On a bench grinder wire wheel, clean edges to be smooth.
  

In case you don't have a handy person with power tools in your household, buy a bag of new wooden clothespins for your chip clips.

Clip away!

Day of Rest - Then and Now

Our two younger sons, Austin and Barrett. Trust me, they didn't always get along this well, especially since they are 6 years apart. But now they are close friends as well as brothers.

Brandaid

Yesterday I accidentally stumbled onto an extremely informative website, and I'd like to share it with you. It is called Brandaid and the address is www.ebrandaid.com. On this website, the "Brand Doctor" reviews specific food brands that claim to be healthy and tells you whether they really are or not. You can subscribe to their free newsletter (I did), to continue being updated as they investigate and report.

Because of the knowledge I already have on this subject, I can tell you that they are doing a good job at educating people with the real truth. It's shameful how many manufacturers claim to make healthy products, but continue to put unhealthy ingredients in them. Check it out -- I think you will learn a lot, and you and your family will be healthier for it.

Avoid the Wand

With all the flight delays and cancellations in the news, it reminded me of a tip from Dear Hubby that every frequent (or infrequent) traveler might employ.

Going through security these days is a real pain. I saw a cartoon of an elderly couple standing in the security line in their underwear, and unfortunately, that's almost true! You have to remember so many things, stand in line forever, and then rush, rush, rush when you get there.

Try this: Before you leave your house for the airport, but after you're dressed for the trip, stop and remove everything that you will have to take off in the security line: belt, jewelry, coins from your pocket, etc.......and put it all in your purse or the side pocket of your carry-on bag. You'll be all set to just take off your shoes and cell phone and go through security. Then, when you get on the other side, take a minute to put everything back on.

Remember, you can't take water bottles through security. I firmly believe that since they take our water bottles away, they should have cheap ones available immediately on the other side. After all, water is a necessity of life! And we shouldn't have to pay high prices for it in the airport.

Hopefully, you'll be traveling on a day when they don't cancel all the flights, and your luggage will go the same place you do! I really do love traveling...after I get to my destination. May all your trips be fabulous.

Time Flies

Today I want to share with you my favorite clock. Now, this is saying a lot, because I have a lot of clocks. I don't know why I am fascinated with clocks, but I found out something strange a couple of months ago. All of my mother's children -- Kim, Susan, Carey, Alicia and me -- are fascinated with clocks and have filled our houses with them. None of us knows why....isn't that odd?

I got this clock when it was on sale for half-price at Hobby Lobby. It stands on guard between the living area and the kitchen and draws a lot of attention to itself. It has a clock face on each side, so I can see it from either room.

Maybe our fascination is not so much with clocks as with time. I never think I have enough. It passes too quickly. I long for slow days like we had when we were kids, though I don't want to be a kid again. Remember when summer was a long, long stretch of time? I remind myself that even the President of the United States has the same number of hours in a day as I do. I'm not doing something right. It's time for a change.

Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend. Theophrastus (372 BC - 287 BC)

Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you. Carl Sandburg (1878 - 1967)

Cleaning Non-Toxic-ly

My niece, Collette, asked that I do a post about cleaning without being toxic. I completely agree with that - we both are very sensitive to chemicals. For some reason, I have a nasty reaction to bleach, among other things. I'll post some ideas from Collette later in the week.

In the meantime, here's a tip from me: Instead of toxic cleaners in your shower or bathtub, try using cheap shampoo. It's made to remove the same things from your hair that are dirtying up your bathtub, and it's not toxic. You can actually clean while you are in the bath or shower, and kill two....oh, never mind. Baking soda is another good, non-toxic cleaner to have on hand.

The best thing you can do is to clean before you even can see that it needs it. That way there's never a big buildup. Do I always follow this advice? Unfortunately, no. But it is good advice anyway. A good resource for cleaning tips is Flylady at www.flylady.net. Her advice is that you should never see dirt. In other words, clean often enough that it is easy and you never see a buildup. If you don't let it get really bad, you probably won't have to use honking big ugly chemicals to remove it. I used to always hate cleaning the toilets because they were so bad (little boys). But using Flylady's theory, I found that if I cleaned them every other day or so, it wasn't nearly as unpleasant and so I didn't dread it like before. A little goes a long way. Set a timer for 15 minutes and see how much you can get done in that amount of time. You'll be amazed. Cleaning 15 minutes at a time is do-able, and might make a big difference for you.

Springy Feet

I have had the hardest time with rough skin on my feet -- even to the point of it catching on the carpet when I walk barefoot and snagging hosiery! I've tried quite a few things, so I was quite interested when I saw an infomercial about the Ped Egg. I went to the website and almost bought it -- but I held back because I didn't know for sure it would work. So many things hadn't.

Then, I recently saw the Ped Egg available at Walgreens for $10. I thought, "Oh good, I'll try it. But I'll wait for it to go on sale because I still don't know if it will really work."

Last week, my sister Alicia called and said, "You have to get the Ped Egg. It works great!" That's all the encouragement I needed. I bought one, tried it out, and it's the easiest, best-working solution I've ever seen for smoothing your feet.

The buy one, get one free offer shown in the picture is from their website, http://www.pedegg.com/. But you'll pay 6.99 shipping for both, for a total of $24, so you're much better off buying it local. I don't think you need two, you only need additional polishing pads, and they're available in the store. The Ped Egg is also available at Bed, Bath, and Beyond, where you could use one of their coupons.

March on, sisters! With smooth, pretty feet. (I wonder if guys would use this too?)

By the way, today I celebrate with my 100th Daily Post! Wow!

Shiny Toes

Well, spring has sprung and it's time to shed the boots and socks and pull out the sandals. Are your feet ready for that? I've been working on mine. Today I want to share with you a healthy idea for pretty nails. As much as I like beautifully polished nails, I've come to understand that covering them over with nail polish is not the healthiest thing to do. Not only does your nail absorb chemicals from nail polish into your body, but the polish remover is even more toxic. Plus, your nails give important clues to the state of your health -- for instance, if they're bluish, your oxygen level is low. So I gave up nail polish a couple of years ago. I love the look of clean, fresh, shiny nails, so I've tried several products that buff and shine them. My favorite is this -- All Season Miracle Buff & Shine Block. I found them at Sally Beauty Supply, but they may be available elsewhere.

First you use the black side to gently smooth the surface of the nail. Then use the white side to buff a shine onto it. You'll want to buy more than one, because they only do a good job of shining your nails for 2 or 3 applications (both fingernails and toenails). It gives the appearance of nails with clear polish, but you're not using any polish. If you'll notice the print ads in magazines and sales flyers, you'll see that most of the models are going with plain shiny nails.

Another thing I like to do in the summer -- paint Vitamin E oil onto my toenails after I'm dressed for the day and outfitted in my sandals. It makes them look even shinier, and nourishes them at the same time. I LOVE sandals -- my feet do not like being "trapped" all winter!

Now, I know it would be hard for some to give up their brightly polished nails. If you're a fluffy-doodle (see prior post), I can almost guarantee this is not going to set well with you. My younger sister tells me that someday when I'm too old to care she's going to always have my toenails painted red. I'll be the jazziest little old lady in town. :)

Tomorrow - the best way to get rid of rough skin on your feet.

Day of Rest - Then and Now

I've decided to start a new thing on Sundays -- I'm going to show you some "then and now" pictures of my loved ones. Feel free to submit your own by e-mail -- I'd love it!

Today these are favorite shots of our older son Michael - then and now. Then is Thanksgiving at our house around 1978, with his Aunt Yolanda next to him. Now is Christmas at Grandma's house. Not much has changed, huh? Still loving that turkey leg, still right-handed ... thankfully more teeth.

When I talked to Michael on Saturday, and asked him what he'd like to share with the readers, he asked me to share the Serenity Prayer. So here it is:

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;

courage to change the things I can;

and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;

Enjoying one moment at a time;

Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;

Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it;

Trusting that He will make all things right

if I surrender to His Will;

That I may be reasonably happy in this life

and supremely happy with Him

Forever in the next.

Amen.

A good word! Thanks, Mike!

Mold Your Hair?

I am so happy with a product that my hairdresser, Darla, recommended. I have been using it for several weeks now. It is call Defy Destruct Pliable Molding Cream, but on the jar they replace the "e" with ":" to be d:fy d:struct. Weird, but oh well.

I'm not sure how it would work with longer hair, but it is great for my short haircut. After blow-drying, I spread some of this white cream in my hands and then "piece" my hair into the shape I want it. It does the job without leaving my hair looking all greasy. It would work really well for those who like the "messy" look, where your hair goes every which way.

If you use this, you will need to wash your hair everyday, which I do anyway.

I get it at my hair salon, but I've also seen it at Ulta and I'm sure they have it other places, too. I'm thinking this large jar will probably last me more than a year. Ulta has it in a smaller jar also. I've tried several different products to achieve the effect I want, and this is my favorite by far.

I love it when I find something that works! Stay tuned next week for tips we need as we start taking our tootsies out of the boots and putting them into the spring sandals.

Peanut Butter Puffins

As one who needs to avoid wheat, I don't get to eat much cereal. But when I do have a cereal craving, here's my favorite: Barbara's brand Peanut Butter Puffins. As a matter of fact, these are so good that I have to threaten Dear Hubby and our visiting sons to keep their hands off! After all, they can eat any cereal.

This cereal is available at most health food stores, and also in grocery stores that have a health food section. Our local Kroger carries it in their special healthy food section. Yum!

Shave the Butter

You know how the butter is always cold when you need it? If you've got hot toast and cold butter, a great tip is to use a cheese slicer. Slice off a thin layer of the cold butter and lay it on your hot toast (or biscuit, or waffle, or whatever). Voila! You've got butter meltin'.

Another idea -- did you know that you can freeze butter? I buy it on sale and put it in the door of my freezer, then only take out a stick at a time to keep in the fridge. I never run out.

By the way, please use REAL butter and not margarine. Ask any naturopathic doctor or a good nutritionist, or do some research yourself. Olive oil is also really good on your bread. Sometimes I use olive oil to make garlic toast. Everyone loves it.

Airline Quilting

Today's tip is for my quilting friends, but if you do any kind of needlework, this would work for you. My friends and I do what is called hand-piecing. We cut and piece the fabric entirely by hand stitching the blocks and then joining the blocks together to make a quilt. The great part about this is that you can do it anywhere. I get a lot more hand-piecing done than machine piecing because I can do it in my easy chair at night while DH and I are watching TV. (It also keeps me awake!)

So, you can carry your project to the doctor's office, or anywhere you're stuck sitting for a while. It's also a good conversation starter -- people are fascinated with what you are doing.

My tip solves a sticky problem -- when you are on a long airline trip and want to hand-piece, but you're not allowed to have scissors to cut the thread! The solution is to take an empty dental floss container, and use the cutter on it to cut your thread. Cool, huh?

Don't have an empty floss container? Now, don't even get me started about flossing your teeth! Hmmm....I think I have an idea for another post.....

Of Brushes and Fluffy-doodles

There are all kinds of beauties in my world. There are the "naturals", those who won't wear any makeup at all, and just look fresh all the time (Kristine, Nancy, Gay). On the other end of the spectrum are what we affectionately call "Fluffy-doodles" -- the ones who always have perfect makeup, perfect hair, perfect nails, sparkly clothes and probably even fake fur around their handbag (Tanya, Linda, Darla). I could never get away with that, but it suits them well. Tanya even has a canned drink holder with faux fur all around the top! Most, like me, fall somewhere in between.

Continuing on yesterday's thread, if you use some kind of mineral makeup, you're going to need to clean your brushes. I looked at the spray stuff that supposed to sanitize brushes between each using (good if you're sharing), but even the instructions on that say you need to actually shampoo the brushes. When they start to feel a little rough, it's time. I just simply use my gentle hand soap and water. Hold it brush side down while you're shampooing and rinsing, so no water gets up inside the brush. Shampoo at least twice, or until it rinses clear. Rinse thoroughly, pat dry, lay it across something to air dry (as shown in picture). It's best to wash it after using in the morning so it'll be dry for use tomorrow morning. I only do this about once a month.

Remember:
"It's beauty that captures your attention, personality which captures your heart." (unknown)