How to Clean Wax out of Candle Holders

We bought a lot of clear, glass candle holders for our daughter and son-in-law’s wedding reception. I saved them to loan to friends, but the only problem was wax left in the holders. I found that one of the best ways to remove old wax was to put the holders in the freezer for a few hours. Then I took the holders out of the freezer, turned them upside down, and the wax fell out. I put the glass holders in the dishwasher to get out any wax residue, and they looked good as new!

Financial Help

Some people need help getting back on their feet after a financial crisis. There are all sorts of reasons people may need help.  Maybe there are medical bills, college bills, bills from being self-employeed, or maybe overuse of credit cards.  If they have bad credit, then they need help with credit repair.  If they find the best credit offer to suit their needs, they can rebuild their credit by making timely payments.  They can keep a check on their credit score by getting a  credit report.  Then, hopefully, they can rebuild their financial future.

What a Great Week!

This week was great.  I went to help take care of our grandbaby while our daughter was busy getting things finished for a deadline on Thursday evening.  I loved getting up in the morning and getting to watch Baby J smile and make his precious little two month old baby sounds.  And he was really hungry in the mornings (and afternoons and evenings…LOL).  He was so cuddly during feeding time, and I loved to burp him over my shoulder and feel his soft little head against my cheek.   Now, I’m back home, and I really missed holding him this morning.  He is so precious and such a blessing in all of our lives!

“Pink for the Cure” – Susan G. Komen

The Breast Cancer SiteI had a friend die of breast cancer and leave behind three children, the oldest was our daughter’s age, and the youngest had just celebrated her third birthday. I can remember having them over when their daughter was a tiny baby, and we were all focused on the joy of having a newborn. Little did I know that years later I would do the Susan G. Komen “Race for the Cure” in her memory.  There is something I can do now, too, and that’s participate in “Pink for the Cure.”

I have several friends who are breast cancer survivors, and they all know that breast cancer research is so important! We can all do our part to help further this research. This month, there are several companies that have “Pink for the Cure” on their packaging and will donate to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for breast cancer research. Also, you can go to 3 Day Mom for more info.
Here are some of the “Pink for the Cure” packages in the stores:

*Argo Corn Starch

*Betty Crocker – Hamburger Helper, Cookie Mix

*Energizer Batteries
*Fleischmann’s Yeast

*General Mills – Cheerios, Total Raisin Bran

*Green Giant Vegetables

*Karo Syrup

*Mazola Pure Cooking Spray

*Northland Cranberry Juice

*One A Day Women’s Vitamins
*Pillsbury- Crescent Rolls & Grands Sweet Rolls

*Progresso Soup

*Spice Island Pure Vanilla

*Thomas Kinkade “Angel of Hope”

*Viva Paper Towels

*Yoplait Yogurt

Our Table

When our daughter’s sister-in-law did a study abroad semester at Oxford this past spring, she kept a blog of her experiences there. I remember her last entry. She wrote how she would miss her little kitchen table where she would eat, study, have a cup of tea, and look out the window and watch what was happening outside. When I think of our dining table, I remember so many happy times at that table. I remember bunches of high school kids (and then later college students) being crowded around it to eat and all of us enjoying our meal together. I remember when my parents were alive and eating together at that table. I remember all the birthday parties and all the holidays, when it was decorated for whatever the occasion. It’s just a table, but tables can hold so many memories. There are all kinds of tables… pool tables, ping pong tables, poker tables, etc., but my favorite is our dining room table.

Beware of Soy Nuts Causing Itching or Hives

Soy has helped a lot of women with hot flashes, and it helped me for a while. I found that eating 1/8 – 1/4 cup of soy nuts a day greatly diminished my hot flashes. I continued this for five months or so until….I started breaking out in hives. I’m not talking about a few hives in one small area. I’m talking about hives in several areas, some small areas and some large areas. I had them on my arms, my elbows, my hips, my thighs, my waist. I was miserable and the itching would be intense at times, so much so that it would wake me up during the night.

I never had a food allergy before, but I learned that the best thing to do is keep a food diary. So that’s what I did. There were several foods (soy, wheat, barley, especially) that I had reactions to, and the hives would itch more after eating them. These were foods I’ve eaten my whole life and never had a problem.

I found the common denominator between them was phytic acid, and soy has the highest content of phytic acid of all. I decided, for a while anyway, to eliminate all the foods that made me itch. After a couple of months, the hives went away.

When the time for my appointment with an allergist finally came around, the hives were gone. I told her I thought it was the soy. She didn’t think so. After two different allergy tests, she said that she thought it was the soy. So after paying all the out-of-pocket medical expenses (our insurance isn’t very good), I didn’t know anymore than I did before I went to the allergist. I have continued to stay away from soy nuts ever since, but I was able to start eating everything else without any problem.

I had told a friend of mine about the soy nuts when I first started eating them, and she started eating them to help her hot flashes. When I realized it was the soy nuts that were causing my hives, I told her about it. She said that she had been itching some since she started eating the nuts. Well, after she heard about my experience, she quit eating soy nuts immediately and the itching went away.

Everyone is different, but if you are eating soy nuts on a regular basis, watch for any signs of an allergy…especially itching or hives! I’ve read that there are quite a few people who are allergic to large amounts of soy.



I Love Coupons!

I just found another coupon site , which is exciting. They have a list of companies that participate. I noticed that Dell is on the list, and I use a Dell laptop right now. We have three computers in our house, but the other two are usually in use. So I use the laptop most of the time. At some point, however, we would like to get a new laptop. It would be great to recieve Dell coupons when the time comes for our purchase. I’m for saving money anytime we can. And when I can save money on something that I’m wanting or planning to buy, that’s exciting! I don’t know if you’re in the market for a new laptop like me, or maybe you’re wanting a new desktop computer. If you are, check out the Dell coupons and discounts.

MOPS – Mothers of Pre-Schoolers

I am having so much fun this week. I came out yesterday to stay a few days with our daughter and son-in-law and help out with Baby J. This morning we went to a MOPS meeting, which is such a cool program. If you’re a mother with a baby and/or pre-schoolers, you ought to check it out. When we first got there, we got to get some delicious goodies from the brunch table. Then we had visiting time with the other moms at our table while we ate. After that, we had a really good speaker who spoke about teaching organizational skills to pre-schoolers. I wish I had known some of these things when my children were little. Anyway, this is such an excellent program and hope everyone has a chance to check it out.

Great Online Coupons to My Favorite Stores!

This is so awesome!   Did you know that there are online coupons to a lot of our favorite stores?   It’s the time of year to start thinking about Christmas shopping, and with so many people to buy for, it helps to save money.   Our daughter loves to shop at Old Navy for herself, her husband, and the baby.  So that’s a great place to look for gifts.  They have such cute baby clothes there.  I can look in the Baby Department and find an “Oh, that’s so cute!” outfit for him.  And the great thing is, I’ll have a coupon to use.  We also like Target.   Our daughter, her mother-in-law, her sister-in-law and I can spend an hour in Target…easy.  One time when my mother-in-law flew down for a visit, we spent two hours in Target!  Yes…two hours.  We had so much fun looking at everything!  (She doesn’t have a Target store close by where she lives.)   So I have several people in my family who would like a Christmas gift from there.  And again, the neat thing is that I can do some of my Christmas shopping at Target and save money with a coupon.  And if I happen to shop online at one of these stores, I have an online coupon and all I have to do is type in the code in the code box.  It’s that simple!  My family knows how I love to save money,  use coupons, and share with them about how I saved money.   I’ll  definitely be sharing the news about these great coupons with them, too.

Four Years Ago This Month…

Four years ago this month, our daughter and son-in-law were married. Wow, how fast time flies! Now they have a brand new addition to their family, “Baby J.” Soon they will be celebrating their wedding anniversary, but this time as new parents. I also remember back four years ago, and I was having to have a root canal done about this time. Of all times to have a root canal…right in the middle of the last stage of wedding preparations when things are hectic. I was so thankful, though, that my pain was alleviated and that I wasn’t having to have a root canal done the day of the wedding rehearsal. Wouldn’t that have been a crazy day! LOL

Types of Bridal Hair Accessories

When our daughter got married, we looked and looked for the perfect tiara and veil to go with her wedding dress. We shopped around until we found the perfect one. If you’re looking for hair accessories to go with your wedding dress, then visit Jude and read her post about different types of bridal hair accessories. She is a knowledgeable resource.  Click here to learn more.


Weddings…So Much to Do

If you’re planning a wedding, then there is much to do not only in planning but making those plans become a reality. First, you need to decide on a budget for the wedding.  Then you need to reserve the location for the wedding and reception. Hopefully, the date will be available. When our daughter got married, her first choice was booked up with an afternoon wedding and an evening wedding. So, start early with making your reservation. That is a must!  You will need to choose your attendants, a florist, a photographer, wedding invitations, a wedding dress, attendants’ dresses, and the list goes on and on.  The main thing to remember is to start early with your planning.  With so much to do, you don’t want to be in a rush and stressed out by everything there is to do.  This is a time in your life that you want to enjoy!