My Mother's Day.

So, it was my first Mother's Day without my husband.  It was kind of depressing...who am I kidding, it sucked, but what am I to do???

My kids did make an absolutely wonderful early Mother's Day gift.  Saturday I was woken up to my kids making me breakfast in bed.  All my kids are of little ages, so this is kind of hard with limited means, but they managed quite skillfully.  I had the most wonderful melted ham and cheese on wheat sandwich, coffee, and orange juice.  Who could ask for anything more?  I was spoiled with flowers they planted, drew, and made!!!  I love my kids.  They definitely make the mess of my life worth fighting through!

18 Ideas for Mother Day

1. Flowers

Flowers are always a lovely gift, especially for Valentine's Day and Mother's Day, but they don't have to be expensive!  Many grocery stores and discount warehouse stores now carry a large surplus of beautiful holiday flowers (you can often find a dozen nice quality roses for under $15.00!) then wrap them with a beautiful pink ribbon (check the craft and sewing department if you don't have any on hand) or place them in a pretty crystal vase.  

2. Flowering Plants

Consider buying flowering plants (annuals or perennials in place of a bouquet of cut flowers) and plant them for your mom for Mother's Day.  By the way, this is my absolute favorite Mother's Day gift!  (Over the years I've even learned to get a head start on this in April so my husband and children can just get a few extra special flowers that we can add to the garden in May and it won't take an entire day to plant them, then we can still enjoy the day together doing other fun stuff like having a picnic at the park or a cookout at home).  This also makes the pleasant memories of Mother's Day last all summer long! 

3. Cards

Though I have to admit, Hallmark has become one of my favorite stores in recent years, I still love to make homemade cards and our children do too.  Handwritten letters and cards are becoming a lost art (except for the often expensive card stamping craft and that's not what I'm referring to), but simply taking the time to personally write your sentiments down on paper with a little artwork (or cut out flower/nature pictures from magazines or recycled cards) could turn out to be one of mom's favorite presents of all.  

Here's a few ideas you could write down for Mother's Day, but please feel free to think of your own!

* How much I love you...

* Why I love you...

* What a difference you've made in my life...

* Special Memories we've shared...

* Thanks for being there...

* Thanks for your love/support...

* Worlds Greatest Mom...

* World's Greatest Super-Mom

* Thanks for all that you do!

4. Children's Artwork

Especially when children are young this makes a great gift for Mother's Day, but even when our children are older we still love having something designed personally by them!  You could even have the artwork framed or purchase an inexpensive frame from a discount store and decorate it with dried flowers or other items from nature (like sea shells if you live near the beach).

5. Photos

Family photos always make a great gift, but they don't have to be the expensive portraits made at a professional studio.  Discount stores like Wal-mart and K-mart offer very inexpensive portrait packages, just don't be lured into buying extra sheets or it could cost a small fortune.  

Consider taking some snapshots of the kids at home and simply tying a stack of them together with a pretty ribbon, or making a collage of photos from the year.  You can find special frames for that at photo shops and discount stores, or just cut and paste photos (or copies of the photos to preserve the original), onto a half-sized poster board.

6. Memory Album or Memory Box

If your mom saves everything (like I do) you'll have quite a resource for this great gift idea!  Give her a pretty memory album or keepsake box to put her photos and scrapbook type items from the year's past events, and then spend a day or evening with her going through them and helping her get them organized.  I guarantee you'll get as much out of this Mother's Day gift as she does, if not more! 

7. Personalized Gifts

Through digital photo stores like Snapfish you can use personal photos to make gifts like t-shirts, calendars, posters, coffee cups and even throw blankets and diaper bags.  What a great gift idea for parents and grandparents!  

8. Personalized Collage

Several years ago, when I was recovering from surgery, my oldest daughter made me a gift I still treasure to this day.  It was a project idea she had gotten from school but she made one for me, a personal collage out of clipped magazine pictures and words that are all about me.  My collage has things like flowers, babies, computers (and chocolate of course!), it's one of the sweetest things anyone has ever done for me so I know it would make a great gift for other moms too!

9. Candy Roses 

Use our 'recipe' for Hershey's Kiss Roses but instead of making just one, make a full dozen and place them in a pretty vase.  Mom may love this special gift so much she won't even eat the candy!

10. Homemade Cookies

Cookies are always a favorite on my list, though my children aren't quite old enough yet to handle this project on their own, someday they will be!  Cookies are an inexpensive gift to make for any special holiday and one that just about everyone will enjoy!  Check out our Cookie Club for free cookie recipes (the index of current recipes is located right on the front page). 

11. Hire Maid Service

If you can afford to hire a week of maid service, just about any mom would appreciate that, but offering to do the housework yourself might be  even better--and would certainly cost a lot less!

12. Fix it Up

If there are things around your mom's house that need to be repaired or updated (like painting or wall papering), offer to give mom a hand and save her some costly repair bills!

13. Help with the Laundry

In our house laundry is an every day chore, having someone else take over for an entire day (or for that matter, a WEEK) would be wonderful!

14. Free Car Wash

If it's been awhile since mom has had time to get her car washed and vacuumed out, what a lovely gift this would make!  Add a little squirt of air freshener for a special touch and be sure to get all those handprints from the inside of the windows!

15. Handprint Original Artwork

Speaking of handprints, one year we made one of the nicest Mother's day gifts for our moms ever!  We made a picture by painting our children's palms with different colors of washable paint and then let them 'stamp' their  handprints in each corner.  When the paint was dry we wrote the words Happy Mother's Day in the center with a black sharpie pen and put each child's name next to their handprint.  Handprint original artwork... priceless.

16. Grocery Shopping/Meal Planning

Same as above; any help you can lend a mom is truly appreciated and well deserved!

17. Make Dinner/Plan a Picnic  

Have a picnic at a local park or an outdoor cookout at home so no one has to do the dishes! 

18. Make a Phone Call

If mom or grandmom live out-of-state or even down the road, and you won't be able to visit with them on Mother's Day, pick up that phone and give them a call!  

That's what we mom's really enjoy the most, time with you!!!

P.S.  And husband's, don't forget your wives who are mothers too, a gift from you is even extra SPECIAL!!!

Ideas???

I don't have the time to look up ideas, and write an article about things people really don't want to read about.  So, in saying this, I would like to hear what people are interested in.  What is it you look up?  Why do you look it up?  Is there a reason you use social networking or is it just for fun?

Help me out, so I know what to give to the next person!

When it rains it Pours

I always did say that old saying, When it rains it pours, and it is so much of my life.

Recently I have become a single mom of three wonderfully beautiful children who drive me nuts!  Well, that is not something I chose, but who really would want to be faced with that choice.  My dog died...I love you, Biscuit, and then my car goes and dies.  I know, it sounds like a sad country song, but no, it is my life right now. It is said that things happen in threes.  Well, with that being said my rainbow should be showing over the horizon.  I would think, but who knows?

All I DO know is that even though it is pouring in my life...I'm going to dance in it.  I will keep my head up and walk this life like I am Queen...oh, and did I mention...I AM Queen of my world.  It is someone's good fortune to have me in their life.  No, I don't think I am conceited, just comfortable with who I am as ME.  No, I am not beautiful, or model size (nice way of saying I'm fat) or perfect (show me someone who is, and I'll kiss your feet) or always nice in my words (not much of a filter), but I am loyal, loving, trustworthy, honest to a fault, and I'm one strong woman!!!

Well, this storm will pass too, and I, and my children, will be better off when the skies clear!

Different ways to use the amazing Sol-U-Mel.

When I first joined Melaleuca and heard everyone raving about Sol-U-Mel, I really didn't understand how powerful a product this is. Now, our household could not be without this wonderful product. Sol-U-Mel is a 3-in-1 cleaner. It cleans and dissolves impossible-to-clean stains. You can also add Sol-U-Mel to other Melaleuca cleaners as an extender or cleaning booster, and it is a wonderful deodorizer and freshener.

Full strength Sol-U-Mel is 10% Melaleuca Oil and has the highest concentration of Melaleuca Oil of any of Melaleuca?s cleaners. Sol-U-Mel can remove even stubborn oil stains, crayon, chewing gum and ink. Dilute it with water for an all-purpose, ready-to-use cleaner or deodorizer and freshener.


When you clean with Sol-U-Mel, the crisp fragrance of Melaleuca Oil neutralizes lingering smells around the house. For deep odors like smoke, mildew, or pets, just dilute Sol-U-Mel in water. Spray it into the air, onto carpet or upholstery. Spray into closets and corners to eliminate any stale smells. There are so many uses for Sol-U-Mel and the following list has come from many of our team members and other sources. I?m sure you have found some of your own favorite uses you can add to the list.


AROUND THE HOUSE?

Gummy labels, chewing gum, tape, tar, tree sap, sticky residue etc. - use Sol-U-Mel full strength as an effective solvent to remove any sticky stuff.


Mini-blinds ? Mix 2 tablespoons of Tough & Tender and 1 capful of Sol-U-Mel with 16 oz. of water to cut through the grimy dirt on blinds.


Wallpaper Removal - in a 16 oz spray bottle, mix 1 teaspoon Sol-U-Mel to teaspoon Tough & Tender, fill with water. Spray area to help soften wallpaper for easier removal.


Kitchen Odors - in a 16 oz spray bottle, add 1/3 cup Sol-U-Mel and fill with water. Spray cutting boards, countertops etc. to eliminate onion, fish, odors etc. This will also kill any germs as well.


Mold & Mildew - Mix 2 1/2 tablespoons of MelaMagic and 1 1/2 capfuls of Sol-U-Mel with water in a 16 oz. spray bottle. Spray on surfaces like the shower curtain and let sit for a few minutes. Wipe clean with a damp cloth.


Furnace Filter/Air Purification -

 

The quality of the air you breathe in your home may be robbing you of good health. Modern, energy efficient home, by virtue of their air tight design, often trap chemical vapors in addition to mold, fungus, yeast and bacteria from moist condensation in heating and cooling ducts, soil from house plants, and under sink areas. There is a literal zoo co-inhabiting our homes. Many respiratory, eye, ear, nose and throat complaints appear in doctors' waiting rooms because of over exposure to foul household air. Changes of season often shift populations of these microbial species as growing conditions fluctuate. What can you do? Convert your home to Melaleuca products, replacing toxic cleaning and personal care products with safer Melaleuca products. The out gassing of toxic vapors from these products significantly decreases air quality problems. Remove browning leaves from house plants immediately and provide good drainage. Change furnace and cooling air return filters monthly during extreme weather usage. Spray all filters and vents often with diluted Sol-U-Mel. To do a Melaleuca oil purge of your house every couple of months, attach an inverted open bottle of T36-C5 on the furnace intake filter. The high air volume will diffuse the entire contents of the bottle throughout your house over the next 12 - 36 hours (depending upon temperature and relative humidity). This treated air flows throughout all the rooms and stops the growth of bacteria, molds, fungus and viruses. 

Spray all your bedding (pillows and mattresses) and this will kill dust mites and pet dander.  This is excellent for those who suffer from allergies or asthma. 


Disinfectant Spray - In a 16 oz. spray bottle, mix 1/8 cup Sol-U-Mel, 1/8 cup MelaMagic to 1 3/4 cup water. Spray, wait, rinse and wipe clean. Great for countertops and any surfaces around the house.


Floor - The above disinfectant spray mixture is also effective to spray or wipe on the floor, or mix in a bucket and mop it up.


Plants - Add 1 tablespoon of Tough & Tender to 16 oz. of water, or use diluted Sol-U-Mel. Spray on roses to kill aphids and other undesirables. Sol-U-Mel will also clean moss or algae off your clay pots.


Carpet Cleaning - Mix 1/4 cup of PreSpot Plus, 1/2 cup MelaMagic and 1 tablespoon of Sol-U-Mel. Pour solution into the tray of the carpet cleaner. Another recipe: Mix 1/2 cup Tough & Tender, 1/16 cup of MelaMagic, and 1/8 cup Sol-U-Mel in 1 gallon of water.


Carpet Vacuuming/Deodorization - Mix 1 1/2 capfuls of Sol-U-Mel with water in a 16oz. spray bottle. Lightly spray carpet with diluted Sol-U-Mel, let sit for 5 minutes and vacuum as usual.


IN THE LAUNDRY ROOM
Laundry Booster - Add one capful of Sol-U-Mel and add 2 - 4 caps of MelaMagic to average wash load to deodorize and disinfect.


Oil Based Stains - Use Sol-U-Mel full strength on fabrics. Great to lift paint stains too!


Degreaser - Mix a solution of 2 tablespoons of MelaPower and 1 capful of Sol-U-Mel with 2 gallons of warm water. Put clothing in this solution and let soak for a few hours. If the grease spots are not dissolved, apply a squirt of Antibacterial Liquid Soap. Rub in and let stand for a few minutes before rinsing with warm water. You can also add MelaMagic directly to the wash water in the machine.


Ink - Apply Sol-U-Mel full strength to spot. Rub then rinse. Wash as normal.


Diaper Pail - Combine 1 oz. of Sol-U-Mel, 1/2 oz of MelaPower, 1/2 oz MelaBrite. Add sufficient water to cover soiled diapers to soak overnight, then wash with MelaPower and 1 oz. Sol-U-Mel in washing machine (PreSpot stained areas). They will come out whiter, brighter and exceptionally fresh smelling with this method. *For those parents who use disposable diapers, spray diluted Sol-U-Mel mixture in garbage pail to deodorize and disinfect.


Toys - Washables (stuffed animals, dolls, blankets etc.) in machine with 1/8 cup of MelaPower and 1 capful of Sol-U-Mel. For all plastic toys etc., wash in a sink full of hot water mixed with 1 capful of Tough & Tender and Sol-U-Mel to clean and disinfect.


PERSONAL CARE ......

Bathing - 1 capful of Sol-U-Mel in bath water as initial therapy for dry skin, rashes, dermatitis, diaper rash etc. Helps soothe and soften the skin.

Hot Tubs - No Melaleuca products, including T36-C5, Renew Bath Oil or Sol-U-Mel should be used in an operating tub or permanent Jacuzzi tub. Melaleuca alternifolia oil is not compatible with the filtration system in these sophisticated environments. You can use Sol-U-Mel, Tub & Tile etc. in cleaning the walls of a dry tub, but not when the system is filled.


Vaporizer/Humidifier - Add 1 tablespoon of Sol-U-Mel to water in a vaporizer (or use a bowl of boiling water). Make a tent by draping a large towel over the head and breathe directly over the vapors for 10 minutes, twice daily. Sleep in a room with a vaporizer running all night. This also helps to clean and purify the air. A cold mist humidifier can also be used. This remedy is also effective for bronchitis and asthma.


Insect Relief - Mixture of a few drops of T36-C5 and 1 capful of Sol-U-Mel diluted with water in a trigger sprayer. Spray onto clothes, skin and outdoor areas as a safe and effective repellent. Another recipe: 1 teaspoon of Tough & Tender with a capful of Sol-U-Mel and 1 capful of Renew Spa & Bath Oil diluted with water in a trigger sprayer.


HEALTHY PETS ......
Fleas - For general protection, wash all bedding in washing machine with 2 capfuls of Sol-U-Mel and 1/8 cup MelaPower. Add 2 oz. of Sol-U-Mel to 16 oz. of water in trigger sprayer and apply to areas where dog or cat rests to repel fleas and deodorize. Add a capful of Sol-U-Mel to bath water as well.


Fly Repellent (Livestock) - Mix 2 oz. of Sol-U-Mel with 16 oz. of water. Spray directly on the animal. As mentioned above, works effectively on fleas as well.


Hamsters, Gerbils, Guinea Pigs - To control odor in or around a small animal's cage or to prevent communicable diseases, dab T36-C5 or spray a 1:20 diluted solution of Sol-U-Mel to the area 2 or 3 times each week.


Parakeets, Canaries or Tropical Birds - To prevent diseases among birds, use a 1:100 dilution of Sol-U-Mel sprayed once per week to the absorbent fodder material on the bottom of the cage. Spray each time the fodder is changed. WARNING! Some exotic birds are sensitive to the aromatic oils in T36-C5.

Rabbits - To clean their cage, mix 2 oz. of Sol-U-Mel with 16 oz. of water. Spray on cage and on the bottom tray to clean and deodorize. Scrub clean with brush. Rinse with water.

MTV changed the world in the 1980's and now it's Social Media!

I remember being a kid when MTV began, and watching all the great music with videos too!  It was a revelation.   MTV changed the way we experience music: before it existed, we listened to records; after, we started watching them.  Another innovation that can be claimed by MTV is reality television, which started in 1992.  We went from hearing to watching.  It was all for entertainment. 


...and now...


Social Networking is taking over the world! Facebook, as we all know, began as a lark.  Some college kids just trying to get 
girls ends up being a multi-billion dollar enterprise that has connected people all around the world. It’s the ability to obtain and share information, build relationships, share experiences that is shaping our culture.  There is no knowledge that can not be achieved from the tips of your fingers any longer.   


What does social networking mean for you?  How has it changed (good or bad) you life?

Bob Carlisle - Butterfly Kisses (Country Version)

This song makes me cry every time I hear it!