Tracking Spiritual Progress For You or Your Kids!

This season of Lent I decided to make a spreadsheet of all my promises for Lent. At the end of each day I mark the good, the bad, and the ugly. I then can renew my zeal for the next day already knowing where I need to place my concentration. 

I am sure all you mommies out there do something like this- it just took me a while to pick it up! ;-)

Tueday's Tip: Staring Right At You..

I think I have mentioned this before, but I purchase toilet and towel paper in bulk off of Amazon. The boxes are huge and I am sure it leaves my neighbors wondering. Anyway, they pack the boxes with all this brown paper. I am not sure why I didn't think of it before, but today I remembered my older sister who would make wrapping paper with this stuff. She would decorate it with potatoes cut out into shapes. Well, Hells Bells... why wasn't I doing that- especially with Christmas around the corner? 

Tuesday's Tip: Cucumber!

WHO KNEW CUCUMBERS COULD DO ALL THIS!!!

Spice up your 8 glasses per day of water with a slice or two of cucumber. It's wonderfully refreshing, but there are amazing benefits to cucumber as well. Cucumbers are cooler than you think ...
SHARE THIS AWESOME INFORMATION

1. Fat busting: Do you ever wonder why women put cucumbers on their eyes to relieve puffiness? The photochemical in cucumbers makes the collagen in your skin tighten, thus the lack of puffiness. Did you know that you can rub a cucumber on a problematic spot of cellulite anywhere on your body to lessen the visibility of it? Did you also know that it has the same effect on wrinkles? Wow, it makes purchasing those fifty dollar creams seem a little silly, doesn’t it? You can also rub a little bit under your kiddo’s eyes after a long bout of crying to avoid that puffy ‘I cried for an hour straight’ look.

2. Defogger: Do you get annoyed when you get out of the shower and you have to fight the fog on the mirror? Who has time for that when the kids will be awake at any moment? Try rubbing a slice of cucumber on the mirror before you hop in and not only will you get a fog-free mirror, but you’ll have a nice smell that will boost your mood.

3. Headaches: If you suffer from headaches from chasing your babies all day (or pets or your husband), or had a little too much wine with dinner and want to avoid a hangover, eat half of a cucumber before bed. Cucumbers are high in B vitamins, sugar, and electrolytes, and they replenish the nutrients missing in your body to help you avoid a hang over or to beat that headache that’s been threatening to take over.

4. WD-40 replacement: Did you know you can get rid of a squeak by rubbing a cucumber on the hinge? Wow, now you don’t have to tear your garage apart looking for that little can with the red straw, and the baby won’t wake up when you slowly open the nursery door to check on him.

5. Crayon on the walls: Take an unpeeled cucumber and rub the crayon off of the walls in the event that your kiddo left you some art. You can also use this technique to erase a pen mistake.

6. Halitosis killer: Take a slice of cucumber and put it on the roof of your mouth. Hold it there with your tongue for 30 seconds. The photochemical that you love for cellulite and puff reduction will also kill the bacteria that is causing your bad breath.

7. Tarnish remover: If you’re finding tarnish on your stainless steel kitchen faucets and appliances? Rub it off with a cucumber slice. Not only will it remove years of tarnish, it will leave it streak free and your hands will thank you, and your kids won’t be put at risk from a dangerous chemical.

8. Energy booster: If you’re feeling tired in the afternoon, don’t give Starbucks your five bucks. Instead, grab a cucumber. There are just enough carbohydrates and B vitamins to give you a longer-lasting and healthier boost of energy than soda, coffee, or those health hazard energy drinks.

9. Munchy madness: Did you know that European trappers ate cucumbers for energy and to keep from starving to death? If those big burly manly men can eat a cucumber to keep from starving, you can eat one as a healthy choice when the munchies hit. Slice some up and take them in a small plastic container to the movies if your theater doesn’t offer healthy alternatives to munching on butter soaked popcorn.

10. Frugal facial: Slice up a cucumber and boil it in a pot of water. The chemicals inside of the cucumber will mix with the steam. Remove the pot from heat and lean over it, letting the steam hit you. Your skin will be more radiant and healthy, and you will feel relaxed and rejuvenated.

11. Shoe polish: Cut a slice off of your cucumber and rub it on your shoe. It will not only shine it up, but it will repel water.

12. Pest control: Put three or four slices of cucumber in a small pie tin and place them in your garden. The chemicals in the cucumber have a reaction that pests hate. You won’t smell it, but it will drive them from your garden all year long. Replace them periodically.

13. Sunburn: Sometimes sun block doesn’t always protect your little ones from sunburn. If you have burnt little kiddos you don’t have any aloe, rub some cucumber on them. Many doctors even use cucumber to treat patients with irritated skin and sunburns.

14. Blood pressure: Cucumber has been long used to treat high blood pressure. If you have it, add cucumbers to your daily diet. There is also ongoing research into the use of cucumbers for lowering cholesterol.

15. Constipation remedy: The seeds of a cucumber are a diuretic. If you’re constipated, try eating a cucumber. If you suffer from chronic constipation, add cucumber to your daily diet

Christmas Tin Transformation

My mother had received a number of Christmas tins with lots of goodies inside. These tins can be reused but are often an eye sore after the holidays. Well, my younger sister became creative and look at what she put together! Aren't those lovely?

RICE COOKER

This past week I utilized my rice cooker to make a Friday meal. I threw in rice, vegetable broth, frozen spinach, and shrimp and plugged this baby in. Yummy! Have you ever tried this?

30 Days of Adventure: Update as of 5/2/2012

I set up my 30 tasks (please note that a few are repeated) and have completed the following as of May 2nd.

Here is the list (some have been repeated)

1. Pray/Counsel at abortion clinic

2.Pray/Counsel at abortion clinic

3.Pray/Counsel at abortion clinic

4. Pray/Counsel at abortion clinic

5. Work in yard three hours

6. Work in yard three hours

7. Work in yard three hours

8.  Work in yard three hours

9. Steam clean green couches

10. Steam clean blue couch

11. Clean behind stove

12. Record three songs

13. Order blinds for Bonus Room

14. Paint shed in backyard

15. Clean out and donate at least four handbags

16. File receipts

17. Finish one book

18. Take donation items to Salvation Army

19. General clean up - four hours

20.  General clean up - four hours

21. General clean up - four hours

22. General clean up - four hours

23. 30 minute neighborhood walk

24. 30 minute neighborhood walk

25. 30 minute neighborhood walk

26. 30 minute neighborhood walk

27. One First Friday Mass and four Saturday Masses

28. Four catechism lessons with godson

29.Work in garage- three hours

30. Work on veils

Bonus: Clean through and donate at least four clothing items

Tuesday's Tip: 30 Days of Adventure

A number of the blogs I frequent have mentioned a four week challenge with a list of "assignments" to be completed that day.  Me, being the schedule and list obsessed person that I am - jumped on the band wagon like nobody's business! Woah Nellie! These assignments were sometimes more than ten different projects and I just can't handle that while working full time. Sooooo... I changed it up as follows:

I wrote down a certain project, weekly task, or whatever my little heart wished that would cover 30 days. I then wrote in the corner of the card the "complete by" date which gives me a little more wiggle room.

So...now I have 30 lovely cards that I am going to tape all over my fridge and then pull off as each one is completed.

I will try to post a picture of the fridge on 5/1/2012 since that is the day I start the challenge and will indicate the tasks I complete each week.

Do you want to join?

Here is the list (some have been repeated)

1. Pray/Counsel at abortion clinic
2.Pray/Counsel at abortion clinic
3.Pray/Counsel at abortion clinic
4. Pray/Counsel at abortion clinic
5. Work in yard three hours
6. Work in yard three hours
7. Work in yard three hours
8.  Work in yard three hours
9. Steam clean green couches
10. Steam clean blue couch
11. Clean behind stove
12. Record three songs
13. Order blinds for Bonus Room
14. Paint shed in backyard
15. Clean out and donate at least four handbags
16. File receipts
17. Finish one book
18. Take donation items to Salvation Army
19. General clean up - four hours
20.  General clean up - four hours
21. General clean up - four hours
22. General clean up - four hours
23. 30 minute neighborhood walk
24. 30 minute neighborhood walk
25. 30 minute neighborhood walk
26. 30 minute neighborhood walk
27. One First Friday Mass and four Saturday Masses
28. Four catechism lessons with godson
29.Work in garage- three hours
30. Work on veils
Bonus: Clean through and donate at least four clothing items

TUESDAY'S TIP: EFFECTIVE CLEANING PRODUCT

Aside from mild soap and water, which you can use on most surfaces, another all-purpose cleanser that works great for kitchen counters, cutting boards and bathrooms is 3% hydrogen peroxide and vinegar. Simply put each liquid into a separate spray bottle, then spray the surface with one, followed by the other. In tests run at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and StateUniversity, pairing the two mists killed virtually all Salmonella, Shigella, and E. coli bacteria on heavily contaminated food and surfaces when used in this fashion, making this spray combination more effective at killing these potentially lethal bacteria than chlorine bleach or any commercially available kitchen cleaner.

The best results came from using one mist right after the other – it's 10 times more effective than using either spray by itself and more effective than mixing the vinegar and hydrogen peroxide in one sprayer. As an added bonus aside from the health benefits, using this type of natural homemade cleanser is much less expensive than commercial varieties.

Tuesday's Tip: Working With Your Doctor's Office

My husband and I are utilizing a different insurance plan with a high deductible. This would have been ideal had we remained healthy during the year, but all hell broke loose!

Hubby ran into some medical issues late last year and we are STILL paying the medical bills! February brought about a new set of illness for the both of us, so I thought I would change things up regarding medical bills.


When I visited my doctor, I talked to the receptionist about billing. I asked to pay for the doctor's visit (an subsequent x-ray) without insurance. She immediately relayed that the price would be reduced by 20% and another 20% would be deducted if you paid the balance within seven days of the visit.


Obviously, this is a wonderful help for those who pay insurance with their own funds and I was wondering what kind of deal you have obtained in this realm.

Getting Ready for Guests

Personally, I am a boring person. What I lack in excitement I make up in readiness.
My mother created a "welcome basket" for a friend of mine who came to visit quite a number of years ago when I was a teen. The impression stayed with me and I have since kept the tradition for all my guests. Pictured is a basket I created for my visiting brother.

Tuesday's Tip: Whiten Your Teeth and Shower!

I don't like to whiten my teeth... It gets me all crazy to just sit there with those trays in my mouth. So... what do I do? I put these trays in and then take a shower! That usually takes care of at least 15 of the 30 minutes required for these whitening messes.
How about that?

Saving Money and Being Cute!

I am attending a baby shower and wanted to utilize a more unconventional gift bag/box. I decided to use this lovely green box from a previous order I received in the mail. The ribbon was also a part of the order and then I went artistic! Hubby and I receive lots of address labels in the mail. This particular set had babies as the motif on the labels and that is what I used to decorate the box.
Cute?

Tuesday’s Tip: Jalapenos!

I don’t know about you, but our garden is full of lovely peppers in various shapes and sizes! We love peppers, but not everyone can enjoy as freely as we do in a no children home. My sister mentioned that she would like to cook more with jalapenos but it worried about touching a pepper and then inadvertently touching one of her children. Well, we can simply utilize my mother’s trick! She will take a handful of the peppers and throw them right into her food processor to be chopped. She can then store these in a container and will just spoon a portion out to add to any meal. It is simple and cuts down on any direct contact with the peppers! Isn’t she snazzy?

Tuesday's Tip: Toothbrush For Your Face??

Maybe a bit weird, but I have started using toothbrushes to scrub my face and I love it! I am not pressing very hard and I can still see the wonderful results of the deep cleaning. I am going to test this out for another week in another last resort attempt of clearing up my acne issues.


Will keep you posted!!

Magic Erasers

I am sure you know about this tip, but I must mention it anyway!
I have been told by a few people that using a magic eraser in the shower makes for easy cleaning. Well, they were all correct! I used the magic eraser this weekend and took off all the soap scum in an instant!

Have you tried this?

Tuesday's Tip: Toothpaste

A great article on toothpaste/mouthwash products.

TUESDAY’S TIP: ONLINE SHOPPING WITH A TWIST

I tend to do a bit of online shopping for myself and others. Often, the company will offer free gift wrapping and I always take the company up on that offer. I will order myself something, have it wrapped, and then use the box/ribbon for a future gift!

Tuesday's Tip: Waiting

Last night Hubby and I drove to a mall on the other side of town. Our mission was to take the computer in for repairs and only repairs. When we arrived, the store was bursting with customers and we were asked to wait an hour or more until they could analyze the issue.

Hubby was involved with the computer, but what was I going to do for an hour? In a mall? I headed to the store Origins. I have heard about their all organic make up products and the reviews were awesome.

I was just planning to look around. I wasn’t going to purchase anything. Hubby followed me into the store and we perused. The sales lady came by and talked to me about the products. I relayed that I was interested, but needed to clear my face of this horrible breakout that had occurred the past week (I am on acne medication for it right now). She offered to do a mini facial and make up application and I readily agreed. I had an hour to kill, liked the products, and she was nice so why not?

Oh, my heck! It was lovely! I enjoyed all of the products used on my face and the end result was smooth to the touch and to view. She gave me four samples to try out for the week and to make sure I wasn't allergic to anything.

So, here I am reviewing all of the products online and my trigger finger is very happy and wants to send an order through RIGHT NOW!

Slow down Charlie! I need to step back and re-evaluate the situation. Let’s make some notes about all of this…..

1. You have samples to test for the entire week
2. This product is organic but extremely expensive
3. It will take you (after taxes) ten hours of work to make this purchase.
4. You will more than likely get out of this make up craze in another month
5. You just received an online order from another company (I think I am having allergic reactions to that too- btw)
6. You could work over time to cover this purchase or you could put the money away
7. Hubby likes the product and is fine with the purchase
8. Hubby likes to spend money too
9. Hubby is really cute…wait… that’s another list
10. Is it getting hot in here?


End Result

I am going to use my samples for the rest of the week and then come to a final decision. Not allowed to make an online order. I will go back when we pick up the computer and only then I will purchase the product if it is right for my skin.

Tuesday’s Tip: I Need One!

What do you do when you are forced to partake in a baby shower? On top of that, you are told that you have to bring a gift for the expectant mother.



I was transferred to a new office team about two months ago. There is a fellow employee who is on this team and is expecting. I think I have spoken to her a total of five minutes these past two months. The team is putting together a surprise shower that originally comprised of only food. Yesterday afternoon (15 minutes until 5:00 P.M.) I was told by another employee that we also need to provide a gift….that I needed to “conform” and just get the gift. She also proceeded to tell me how to purchase clothes for a baby since I have no children of my own. Back up the bus. I have a brother sixteen years my junior…. I think I know about babies. I also babysat throughout my high school years and have fifteen nieces and nephews. It is true I don’t have a child of my own (thanks for rubbing that in), but I think I have a good handle when it comes to children of all ages.

Tuesday’s Tip:Reading Material

Today my place of employment tested the fire alarms. We all marched outside until we were given the signal to go back into the building. You could only imagine how long it took for everyone to slowly make their way into the building, into the elevators, and back up to their respective floors. I was so thankful that I had a small book tucked away in my purse to pass the time.

I was able to take in spiritual reading for twenty more minutes today.



Do you always have reading material on hand?