Then and Now - Victoria and Eric

Meet my little sister Victoria and her husband Eric. They were high school sweethearts, then apart for many years, then reunited and married in their 30's. Vicky is good at whatever she sets her mind to, and so is Eric.

One More Way to Use that Cellphone Camera

Have you ever been sitting in a doctor's office, reading a magazine, and found an article you'd really like to save? I know, some people would just rip the page out and take it with them, but I won't. This idea might work, depending on several factors. Take out your cellphone and take a picture of the page(s) you want to save.

I found an exercise I thought would be helpful, and knew I wouldn't remember it on my own, so I snapped this picture as a reminder.

Goofy? Yea. But when you're my age, you need all the reminders (and exercises) you can get.

Don't You Dare Take My Miles!

I had a dilemma last week. I received notice that my son's American Airlines miles were going to expire soon for lack of activity. You have to either use or add to your miles within an 18-month period, or they will expire, and he has been in Afghanistan for over a year. No way he'll be using them in time.

I searched the AA website for a military exemption. No. I saw that I could transfer points to someone else, at a hefty fee. I could donate them. No. None of the options were good. Finally, I called customer service, and the guy who answered gave me an option I could definitely live with. I went to www.aadvantageeshopping.com and bought something, which added a few points to his balance and therefore saved all the miles for another 18 months. This is a site that has over 200 retailers who partner with AA to give you points as you shop. I simply went through this site to the Walmart online shopping, used his Aadvantage number, found the clearance items which were eligible for 69 cent shipping, and bought myself a $9 item that I could use. Voila! Mission accomplished.

I would think that other airlines would have the same kind of opportunity. This was so easy, I've decided to check this site anytime I'm buying something online, in case I can get airline points for something I'm about to buy anyway.

Now...Supermom is off to save another day for mankind.....(who am I kidding?) Really good news -- our son will be leaving Afghanistan in the next 3 weeks. Yippee!!

Rescue an Unloved Quilt

My quilter buddies are going to like this. A couple of years ago, my cousin Pam made this wreath for me. She used an old, holey quilt that wasn't good for anything else, and I love it! Cut the quilt in strips, then wrap around a styrofoam wreath form, and add a bow -- that's it! You can find old, uncared-for quilts at garage sales sometimes really cheap.

Another idea is to cut pieces that look okay and frame them or use it for a background for a picture. Or make a pillow with the salvageable part. This will bring a big smile to anyone who loves quilts and fabrics like I do.

Thanks, Pam! (No, that's not her husband. He's a lot more lively.)

Hair Spray in the Laundry Room

Remember when I told you to save shampoo you don't like to clean the shower or bathtub? Well, save that bottle of hairspray that's not your favorite also. And put it in the laundry room. No kidding. This is the best thing for removing an ink stain from fabric.

It needs to be an alcohol-based hairspray. Put an absorbent paper towel or cloth under the stain. Spray liberally, and then blot with a clean white cloth. Repeat as many times as necessary until the stain is gone. Launder as usual. This really works, I promise.

I have also sprayed an ink stain with hair spray and thrown it into the wash, and it worked. Whether you want to try that or not depends on how attached you are to the clothing.

On Top of Spaghetti.....All Covered with Cheese...

Every decision we make about what we eat is important. It's very important to avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), and it seems to be in everything! For several years, I've been very happily using Classico brand spaghetti sauce because it has all natural ingredients and no HFCS or sugar. It comes in many different flavors and they are DE-licious! Check the label anyway just in case they do something funky with one of the flavors. But I can highly recommend this. And cooked tomatos are extremely good for us, especially men (for prostate health).

If you don't already, start reading labels and banish HFCS from your diet. The industry uses it liberally because it is cheap, but it causes mineral loss in your body, and may be a big culprit in our overweight society. Making this one change alone could cause you to lose weight.

Papa-ya

As we get older, for some reason we have less and less digestive enzymes. But even some of the younger ones need this too. Natural Papaya chewable tablets can be taken with each meal and will help you digest your food properly. If you have indigestion, nausea, heartburn, or any other digestive troubles, please give this a try. I'm not recommending any certain brand -- there are lots of choices, and they're not expensive. They are pretty tasty, too. This might be your chance to get off of Prilosec or Nexium -- those prescriptions have all kinds of nasty side effects. What have you got to lose, besides heartburn, indigestion, nausea, and money?

Then and Now - Carey and Alicia

This just cracks me up. Our brother Carey is a hoot. See the personality in the first picture (with our maternal grandmother)? It hasn't changed. He keeps us laughing all the time. I'm still a little miffed that he's the only one who got to keep the blond hair -- and he wears it about a 1/4" long! No fair! He and Alicia are my mom's youngest two kids. I like to remind them that I changed their diapers....

Water Drill

I've got another Dear Hubby hint for you today. See the orange-painted tools in the picture? The bottom one can be used to open the lid to the main water meter, and the top one is used to turn the main water supply on or off. They're painted orange so they can be spotted quickly in an emergency by a non-handy person (specifically - me). Once or twice a year, DH puts me through a drill so I will know what to do if I need to quickly turn off all the water to the house when he's not here.

It would be a great idea to fix up tools like this not only for your home, but for a single mom, widow, elderly person, or clueless neighbor.

Now, this idea transfers nicely to other procedures. Does your wife/teenager/mother need an occasional reminder of how to change a flat tire? Or how to reset or turn off circuit breakers? How about a fire drill for the kids in your house? Don't take for granted that they'll know what to do.

I imagine you can think of other applications for this idea. I'd love to hear them.

No Drips Allowed

Here's a Dear Hubby hint for you. He was staining the porch swing last week and offered this up: put your paint or stain can inside a plastic bucket while you're working. Then any drips will fall inside the bucket, and you've got a place to put your brush when you need to set it down for a few minutes. He's very good at this -- he always puts a tarp down and has newspaper and paper towels on hand in case of an errant drip.

Now go paint something. :)

It's in the Bag Again...in the shower

Our shower head clogs up with hard-water deposits. I know it's bad when the little sprays are spraying every which way instead of right down on me. There are two good ways to attack this.

1) Dear Hubby takes the shower head off and soaks it in a bowl of white vinegar. It works!!

2) If you don't want to or can't take the shower head off, try this. You'll need a plastic bag, a strong rubber band, and white vinegar. Be fully warned that this is a little tricky, but you will be attaching the bag of white vinegar to the shower head so that it's soaking in the vinegar (see picture). It's best to put the rubber band on the shower head first, and double it if you need to. Then fill up the bag and attach it to the shower head with the rubber band. Proceed carefully, or you'll end up smelling like vinegar for the rest of the day. Let it soak a few hours, and the problem is gone.

White vinegar is a natural wonder. I'll share more ideas about it later.

Gingerly

I'm always looking for a natural cure for whatever ails you. Ginger is something you must consider if you have any problems with nausea. Whether it be in the form of ginger snaps, ginger ale, ginger tea, ginger candy or ginger capsules, it is a great remedy for nausea.

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, it has been used for more than 2000 years to treat nausea, stomach upset, diarrhea, and to aid digestion. It has also been used to treat arthritis, colic, colds, flu and heart conditions.

I have personally used it to prevent motion sickness on a bumpy cruise, and it worked very well. Health care professionals also recommend it to treat nausea that is caused by pregnancy and chemotherapy.

However, there are some precautions you need to know about. Consult a doctor before taking ginger if you have gallstones or a blood thinning disorder. Do not take ginger if you are taking blood thinning medication, including aspirin.

I sure wish I'd known about this during those long-ago bouts of morning sickness....

Bonus tip for pregnant women who are nauseous: Try Sea Bands -- they are wrist bands made for motion sickness and they put pressure on a certain point on your wrists. Totally non-toxic, readily available (at drugstores) and worth a try!

Upgrade Your Bean Dip

Mmmmm....hummus.....think of it as an exotic bean dip. It's mainly smashed chickpeas, with a few other ingredients and some spices added in. This is one of my favorite snacks, and it's healthy too. I dip into it with hearty wheat-free crackers.

Not all hummus is alike. You need a good brand. The brand I buy is Athenos, and my favorite flavors are the spicy ones -- Roasted Red Pepper and Spicy Three Pepper. They're available at Kroger and Albertson's.

Another brand that I LOVE is Sabra. However, I haven't found it at the stores that I go to. I've heard that it is available at Costco, and it may just be worth a Costco membership. Friends Bob and Margaret feed this to me when I visit them, and it is GOOD! I have tasted some brands that I don't like so much.

Now, I must say that I've never gotten Dear Hubby to even put it near his mouth....if he ever tasted it, he'd love it too. He thinks it looks like "camel crap". I don't want to know how he knows that.

It's In the Bag

You've probably seen the television ads for Debbie Meyer Green Bags. I was intrigued, but I find it's normally not practical to order things that are only sold in infomercials. And besides, eventually they hit the stores if it's a good product. Sure enough, Debbie Meyer Green Bags have hit the stores -- Walgreens and CVS stores have them, and I'm sure others do to.

During a time that I was too busy to go get them, my friends Mary and Doug (see picture) picked them up for me. I had just seen a consumer report on the news that said they worked, so I wanted to give them a try.

I must say, I am impressed. I just finished using some celery that has been in my fridge, in one of these bags, for at least 3 weeks. I've also tried it on lemons, lettuce, spinach and grapes, all with good results. These bags definitely prolong the life of fruits and vegetables. And they are reusable, so it'll be a while before I need to buy some more. Our local newspaper gave these bags a so-so review, but I can recommend them with no reservations.

Thanks, Mary & Doug!

Happy FD!

Happy Father's Day to my Daddy! And to all the dads out there. Thanks to all the guys who read Deb's Favorite Things.

CO Alarm

You may not think you need another alarm in your house, but if you have a working fireplace, or gas or propane fueled appliances, YOU DO! In these situations, a Carbon Monoxide Detector/Alarm is essential.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless gas that can kill you if it collects in your home and goes undetected. Many situations, including a running car, will produce CO.

Though our home is mostly electric, we do have a gas fireplace. So we have a CO alarm in place, and that gives me more peace of mind.

To learn a lot more about this, go to this link from the Consumer Product Safety Commission:
http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/466.html
This is a good website with good, clearly explained information.

Keep your family safe!

On the Rebound

See this little trampoline? It's called a rebounder. And the health bounce (gentle jumping while keeping your feet in contact with the rebounder) has a lot of benefits. Some people say it is the best exercise you can do. It's something you can do when you don't feel like you CAN exercise.

A little research online will show you that it has many, many benefits. But the most important is that it improves your circulation and moves your lymph. Your lymphatic system is designed to cleanse your body. Movement is what makes it work. It's like getting the benefits of a lymphatic massage, but without the cost. It exercises every cell in your body, and starts to tighten everything.

You can do anything from a gentle health bounce to heavier aerobic exercise. Start off with only 5 or 10 minutes a day for the first week, then build up.

These are not expensive. I found this simple one at Wal-mart, though it's not easy to put together. When my boys put it together for me, I had to endure the snickers about "mom needs to move her chi"...it's not chi, it's lymph!! Others have a hand-bar to hold onto for balance. Some fold up (I don't know if that's a good idea). If you need a simple exercise that you can do in your own home, rebounding just may be the thing for you.

Green, but dangerous

Everything today is green, green, green. You'll notice all the retailers jumping on the bandwagon. These new compact fluorescent light bulbs are supposed to save you lots of money and last 5 years. Well, we're using them at our house, mainly because they run cooler than other bulbs, but there are some drawbacks.

To start with, the ones we're getting have not been lasting anywhere near 5 years. And the only way you can hold them responsible is if you keep meticulous records of where you install which light bulb, where it came from, keep the package, etc. WAY too much trouble. They know that.

Most importantly, you need to know that if one of these breaks, it contains mercury, and you should use extreme caution in cleaning up the mess. Here is the correct way, according to the Popular Mechanics website:

Open the windows and let the room air out for 15 to 30 minutes, then remove as much material as possible without a vacuum cleaner. Using disposable gloves, scoop the glass onto a piece of cardboard and wipe the area with a wet paper towel. For smaller pieces of glass and powder, use duct tape to pull up the fragments and wash your hands after cleaning up the debris.

Now, you also need to consider how you will dispose of the dead bulbs. We don't need more mercury in the landfills. So, see if your local recycling center takes these, or look for places to return them in the home improvement stores.

They haven't been telling us everything, have they?

Duck!

Dear Hubby is one of those guys who always likes to have "all his ducks in a row". That's a good thing if you do what he does. So, when the kids were young, we bought him a whole bag of rubber ducks and dumped them in the jacuzzi one night when he was about to get in. When we came back later, he had them all lined up properly on the side of the tub.

So, ducks have a special meaning for us. Now DH has a lineup of ducks on the bookshelf in his office to represent each one of us. In the picture, you'll see Big Daddy Duck, Mama Duck, then Mike, Austin, Barrett and Beccy, all in a row. Austin and Barrett's ducks have military uniforms painted on, and Beccy is a little bride duck. I'm still keeping my eye out for a tiny tool belt or hard hat for Mike's duck (he's a construction foreman and a master electrician).

And here's the cutest idea --- I love this! When Barrett and Beccy got married, we put little bride and groom ducks on the groom's cake. Is that adorable?? We ordered them from Oriental Trading Company, and we've got extra in case the future brides of the other two boys agree to do the same thing. Gotta keep your ducks in a row!

Eat Charcoal?

Remember when our kids were little and we kept Syrup of Ipecac in case they swallowed something bad and we needed to make them throw it up? Well, it's still a good idea to have that around if you have little ones. But another good thing to have on hand for an emergency is Activated Charcoal capsules. As with Syrup of Ipecac, you don't want to use it unless instructed to do so by a Poison Control Center or a doctor, but if you need it, you won't have time to go looking for it. [DO NOT use Syrup of Ipecac and Activated Charcoal at the same time -- the charcoal will adsorb the ipecac.]

Activated Charcoal will adsorb and absorb thousands of times it's own weight in toxic substances and help flush them out of your body. No, that's not a typo. Adsorb means to gather on the surface in a condensed layer -- literally, in Latin it means "to suck".

But AGAIN I REPEAT, do not use it without proper instruction. It can be a lifesaver, if used under proper instruction. It's not expensive, and a great thing to keep around for, God forbid, an emergency situation.

Too Funny

This is so funny, I just have to share it. You met Michael in yesterday's post. A couple of years ago, he was at our house for a holiday party. We had asked each person to bring a picture of themselves when they were young. We then put the pictures in a bag, took them out one at a time and passed them around to see if we could guess who was who. We had a hard time recognizing some people.



This is the one Michael brought....




scroll down.....




keep scrolling.....



get ready for it.....













We had some good belly laughs from this one, and I still grin everytime I see it.

Maybe you can do something funny yourself with this idea.

Then and Now

Today's Then and Now is really inspirational. My friends Michael and Kristine decided to change their lives, and they are now healthier than ever. Kristine attended Weight Watchers and walks an hour almost every weekday. Michael didn't attend Weight Watchers, but changed his eating and exercises. They both look amazing and have lots of energy. They are changing their family tree by teaching their daughters to be active and eat well. Way to go!

Oh, and Happy Birthday, Michael!

Now

Ideas - Catch 'Em While You Can!

I can agree with my sister Leslie's tip wholeheartedly! Leslie, a teacher, writes:

I make sticky note lists. I keep one by my bedside so when I’m trying to fall asleep and my mind is remembering a bunch of random things, I write it down and I’m able to let it go. The next day I transfer the note to my calendar or to my daily list of things to do. I’ve tried to just forget it and go to sleep…but I tend to toss and turn a lot longer if I don’t just write the thought down.

At work…these random ideas pop in my head while I’m doing a boring task like listening to a mundane reading test and I jot the idea down on a sticky note and stick it in my pocket. I make a point to clean out my pocket and compile the notes when I get home. As a result, I don’t spend as much time trying to remember what I forgot.

This idea works with spontaneous money spending too. If I see something on TV I’d like to order, I write the info on a sticky note and put it in my idea basket….I do the same with catalogues. If I don’t think about it again, then it is money saved. If it continues to come to mind then I make an effort in a week or two to actually order the item. 98% of the time the item never gets ordered and when I do my spring cleaning I find the notes and I happily throw them away noting how much money I saved myself.

This same idea (writing notes to myself) works really well for me, too. I keep a sticky note pad in my car and use it all the time. I have a notepad and pen out on the counter in my bathroom -- lots of ideas come while I'm getting ready in the morning or just before I go to bed. I also keep a little notepad in my purse (see blue and brown notepad in photo - available at Target). If I use that pad, I tear off the sheet and stick it in my pocket.

I once heard someone say that if you don't write down the creative ideas God gives you, why would He give you more? I have now written more than 160 blog posts, and have a running list that contains about 130 more ideas for posts. Sometimes I get several ideas a day. If I don't capture them, they may be gone for good.

So...set yourself up for success...make a conscious effort to record your creative ideas, thoughts, spiritual revelations.....even your to-do list.

My Blue Tooth

If you're a techie like me, you may have heard about the Jawbone bluetooth earpiece (for a cell phone) and wonder if it's worthwhile. I give it an enthusiastic "2-thumbs up". If I had another thumb, it would get that too.

I first heard about it from one of the kids who works at Best Buy . They didn't have it in stock at the time, so I found it online cheaper. This is the first earpiece that has really worked well for me. It has different attachments to fit the size of your ear, and the edge of it sits on your jaw and picks up sound that way rather than through a speaker. It has a noise-cancelling feature that is amazing. Here's how I accidentally tested it out:

I had pulled into my garage and was sitting there talking to my sister on the phone. Dear Hubby sneaked up to the side of my car and pounded on the window. I screamed! Then I apologized to my sister for screaming in her ear and she said, "What?" She had only heard a little squeak because it filtered out the loud noise. Later I tested it as I ran my noisy blender while on the phone. The other party could barely hear the blender in the background. Cool, huh?

But the most important feature is that you can hear people and they can hear you. That's all you need to know. One sister has trouble fitting it to her ear, but then she has very little ears and has that problem with other earpieces too.

I actually have two of these -- amazingly I was able to find a Bluetooth home phone. I am on the phone SO much, it helps a lot to be able to move around the house hands-free. I love my Jawbone. If you're in the market for a good earpiece, give this one a try.

Fiiiiiii-ber....Warning

No doubt. Fiber is good. It's best to get it in your diet -- raw veggies, beans, etc. But if you don't, fiber supplements are good, too. However....did you know that if you take fiber supplements at the same time as your vitamins or other supplements -- or even medicine -- chances are they're being carried away before they are absorbed in your body. What a waste! (No pun intended.)

Take your fiber supplements several hours away from any other supplements or medicines, and always drink a big glass of water to help wash the fiber on through your system.

Ahem....enough said....

Attitude of Gratitude

Thanks to my friend Pam for this one. I am one who tears up in airports when I see young men and women in uniform. Could be because two of my sons are serving. I haven't seen the youngest in person in a year. I know firsthand what a sacrifice our military and their families make. I also know what a character-building experience it is.

Please watch this short video. It's a wonderful idea. Thanks Pam!

Tickle Your Files

I will admit right up front that the most out-of-control area in my house is my office. Paper just seems to multiply itself overnight on my desk. I have tried and am still trying to get this under control -- and I'm open to all suggestions. I've read about many methods and tried most of them. Here is one of the best things I've instituted into my daily routine. It's called the tickler file.

This will take about an hour to set up, but the time spent is well worth it. First, label 31 manila folders with the numbers 1 through 31, for each day of the month. Then label 12 folders with January through December. Put each of these folders (days and months) in it's own hanging folder -- important -- if you don't, the system won't work properly.

Now, when you have a piece of paper or a reminder that can't be taken care of now, drop it in the folder for the month when you need to see it and deal with it. At the beginning of each month, sort that month's paper into the daily folders. Each day, check the daily folder for that day and take care of what's in it. For example, I drop birthday cards to be mailed on certain dates, reminders, appointment cards (after I've written it on my calendar, as a backup reminder), a bill to pay, and anything else I need to get off my desk that can be handled at a later date. Right now, in my December folder, is the perfect birthday card I found for my mother-in-law. As you check each daily folder, move it to the back of the folders so the next day's folder is in the front. Keep the monthly folders behind the daily folders. I put a bright divider behind the daily section of files so it's easy to see where to move the daily folder to.

One of the biggest keys is to train yourself to check the front folder every day. If you can do that, it WILL work. If you have other ideas on how to keep your desk cleared, I'd love to hear them!

Pure Water

I could write pages about the necessity for pure, clean water in your life, but you've probably seen enough news stories lately to convince you. Our tap water, at the very least, is full with chlorine. At worst, there are traces of prescription drugs and many other unappetizing things. Do just a little research and you'll find that you really need to be drinking purified water.

At our last house, Dear Hubby installed a reverse osmosis water filtration system under the sink. I loved it! But at this house, there is not enough room under the sink to install one, and we would not want to cut into the granite countertop to install the spigot. I am dreaming of a whole-house water filtration system, but until that happens, I will do whatever it takes to get my pure water.
Actually, it's not too hard. I have a couple of different kinds of water bottles -- 3 gallon and 5 gallon. I take them to one of the purified water kiosks in our community and fill them for 50 cents a gallon. My 5-gallon container has a pump on the top, because I wouldn't want to have to lift it onto a water cooler and I don't have a good place for one anyway. I only need to fill my bottles about once a week.

Not only is this cheaper than individual water bottles, but it has other advantages too. I'm not using a lot of little water bottles that have to be thrown away or recycled. And those soft plastic water bottles pose health risks also. NEVER freeze your water bottle -- it makes the plastic decompose and pollute your water more than it already does. And it's dangerous to reuse those more than once or twice -- bacteria grows inside them.

Water is essential to life -- make sure yours is clean.

Thousands have lived without love, not one without water.

W.H. Auden

Then and Now - Alicia

Happy Birthday to my sweet baby sister, Alicia. She was born with a smile on her face and she's still charming the world. We are so blessed to have her with us -- Mom went in for a hysterectomy a little over 40 years ago, and they found her! Mom gets a kick out of telling doctors why she has the scars of a hysterectomy, but no hysterectomy. Thankfully, now they check for those things first! I'm thankful for the fun and joy Alicia brings to our lives.






Now, with son Landon.