Children of the Inner Light

I received a gift from a friend a few days ago that truly touched me.  Through this website, she purchased and had shipped a beautiful “Best Friend” cup.  In the box was information on a company called Children of the Inner Light.  I fell in love with this website so much that I put it on my list to purchase gifts for family and friends.

This website is full of gift ideas such as:

• Cups
• Cake plates
• Piggybanks
• Candles
• Bookmarks
• Calendar
• Coasters
• Dog tag necklaces

The list goes on…please visit www.MARCIonline.com and spend some time in this wonderful website.

Easy Way to Save

Here’s a simple, painless way to save a bit of money. When you write a check for a payment, make sure you write the real amount on the check, Then, in your checkbook register, round the figure up. For example, if you write the check for $8.69, enter it in your checkbook as $9.00. This will “add” 31 cents that you won’t see.

When you deposit money into your account, round the figure down. If you’re depositing $34, then enter it as $30. This add $4.00 that you won’t see.

Of course, the extra amounts will actually be in your bank, but because you didn’t write it down, you don’t spend it. You will never, see or feel the lack of these small amounts but over time, it adds up to big savings.

Red Chilies

This is a very basic and simple recipe for a quick sauce to use over homemade enchiladas.

3 Tbsp. your choice of oil
1 to 2 garlic minced garlic cloves
2 Tbsp. flour
½ cup red chili powder
2 cups water

Saute the garlic in oil. Whisk in the flour, add chili powder and water. Cook for approximately 10-15 minutes. Be careful not to let it burn because this produces a bitter taste.

Make up a large batch and freeze to have on hand. This basic sauce can be used for many different recipes. Change it up a little by adding one or more of the following: minced onions, oregano, basil, cumin and parsley.

Fresh Caulk Looks Great

My fingernails are shot, my hands feel like rubber, and I ruined my pants from the bleach, but my shower stall in my master bath looks great!

February’s Fix-It-Up Project is re-caulking my master bath.  Now, you may not know this about me, but I’m a big researcher. Before any task or project, I search the internet for how-to guides and tips to make my chore simpler.  Most of the instructions out there for re-caulking consisted of 3-4 easy steps…what they don’t tell you is the reason I’m writing this blog series.  I’ll cover the real story with all the successes and failures. Think of it as my own little reality series!

Warning!

Irritations from soaps, perfumes, and dyes in laundry soap can be very irritating to some people’s skin. It may be nice to smell that spring air or fresh rain, but the cocktail of chemicals that it takes to produce that scent can irritate your skin or worse.

Research performed at the University of Washington studied a popular detergent and found that it emitted 13 volatile organic compounds (VOCs), five of which the EPA regulates for being toxic or hazardous. Study author Anne Steinemann, PhD, professor of civil and environmental engineering and public affairs, states, “Often, laundry products can contain hazardous chemicals such as neurotoxins and carcinogens. Exposure to them can cause migraine headaches and asthma attacks.”

Eat Your Way to a Happier You

Can your diet affect depression? That’s the question that researchers have been studying for years. We’ve always known that eating healthy is good for us, but now research reports that people who regularly eat fruit, vegetables, and fish reduce their chances of suffering from depression.

A study in the British Journal of Psychiatry conducted by London’s University College studied the diets of almost 3500 people, then assessed them for signs of depression five years later.  It’s not surprising to what they found…those who ate whole-foods had less signs of depression than those who ate food loaded with fat, processed meats, sugar, and refined cereals.

Paper Back Swap Website

There is now a website where you can swap books with others for free. It’s a great idea for those who love to read. Imagine the money you could save and the books are yours to keep or swap again. Take a minute to visit paperbackswap.com to learn how it works and then get started.