MAKE A NOTE!! -- JANUARY 1, 1998

CIRCULATION 54

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CHRISTMAS CARD RECYCLING

If you are like me and hate to throw out those beautiful Christmas cards, here are some ways to keep them circulating. For the ones with no writing & smooth backs, cut them down to postcard size and use them for Christmas thank you's or just notes to friends' Christmas cards/letters. They must be at least 3"x5" and no larger than 4 1/4"x6" (unless you want to pay 32 cents postage for larger cards than that) to be able to use the 20 cent postcard rate. I was able to glean about 30 free cards this way and will be able to save about $3.60 in postage. Some people use them for next year's Christmas cards or Christmas gift tags. There are a couple of charities that will accept them for children's projects, but I don't have those addresses (anyone else?). Don't use cards that have green or red on the area you would be addressing & writing on; the post office machines have trouble reading these and it delays things. You might also POST this in your leftover Christmas cards that you shouldn't purchase red or green envelopes next year (or this year if you shop the after Christmas sales). POST IT...with your Christmas cards.

COMET RESIDUE METEOR SHOWERS

A few months back there was an article that said that January would bring really beautiful meteor showers as earth passed through the residue from the comet this year. I haven't been able to find the dates this will be occurring, but it is something you should watch for details on your news. Of course, those of us who watch will all be blind in the morning, then these giant plants will grow from the meteor residue, but the military guy will figure out that the saltwater will melt them and........oops, sorry, movie flashback. :-) POST IT...on your calendar.

NEW COMPUTER PLANS?

The Pentium prices have dropped a few hundred which should save you a lot of money in 1998. A lot of companies have sales in January, ask around. But a recent article said to wait until this summer when they are really expecting some fantastic savings. POST IT...on your shopping list & calendar.

SPOTS/STAINS

On dry clean articles....my mom used to work for a dry cleaner and always said that the stains that wouldn't come out were usually the ones people tried to get out themselves first. So if you get something on a dry clean outfit, blot/wipe it off as bet you can without spreading it & take it straight to the dry cleaners. But be sure to tell the dry cleaners what it is and make sure they write it on the ticket along with an order to "Pre-spot". For other machine washable items, I still stand by the suggestions in the first Make a Note (that many have written praises about) to use either the Arm & Hammer Laundry Detergent OR add 1/2C baking soda to your regular detergent; then use 3/4C white vinegar in the rinse. If this doesn't take it out, I usually will rewash spraying with Spray N Wash & that will usually take care of it, if it is ever going to come out. Be sure to check items before you put them in the dryer, if the stain is still there and you heat it up, it may set it. There are also specialty stain booklets. One that I have used before is "Crayola Products-Stain Removal Suggestions" which has tips on getting the following out of clothing, carpet, etc.-crayon, colored pencils, markers, paint, chalk, clay, play dough, & glue. You can get this extensive booklet by calling 1-800-CRA-YOLA weekdays 9am-4pm(EST). For carpet stains I suggest a great book called, "Is There Life After Housework" by Don Aslett (New Year's is also a great time to get his book "Clutter's Last Stand") which has a stain guide. For suggestions on the types of furniture, carpet, etc that will hide & resist stains, get his book, "Let Your House Do the Housework". Most libraries will have at least some of his books. But most stains if gotten to quickly enough can be lifted with club soda (the bubbles help bring the stain material to the surface). POST IT...in the inside cupboard in your laundry room or near your washer.

SPEAKING OF PLAY DOUGH

Here is an easy recipe for play dough that is softer, & lasts longer than the commercial brand and as Noelle, my daughter says, "doesn't stink like the store stuff". :-) Mix the following together in a medium microwave-able bowl....1C flour, 1C water, 1/2C salt, 2 tsp cream of tarter (found in spice section of grocery store), 1 Tblsp cooking oil, and finally a small amount of food coloring IF you want colored play dough. After mixing together, microwave on high for 1 min, stir, then microwave for another 1-1 1/2 min. (May need more cooking time depending on the microwave. Looks pasty when done, NOT shiny or gooey. If you undercook it, it will be too sticky when it cools off. ) Keep in a zip-lock bag when not in use. POST IT...near your kids' craft items.

GUN SAFETY FOR CHILDREN

Even if you don't have guns in your home, or are extremely careful with the guns you do own, you never know what other people are doing in their homes where your children might be playing, or what they might find in a discarded outside somewhere (I speak from experience, our son found a rifle that had been discarded on our CHURCH's property in a nice residential area). There is a great little video put out by the National Rifle Association called, "Learn Gun Safety With Eddie Eagle". It is a 10 min video that teaches the kids that when they see any gun anywhere, they should: Stop, Don't Touch, Leave the Area, Tell an Adult. The message is neither for or against gun control, but simply teaching kids to be safe. Call 1-800-231-0752 for more info. POST IT...by your phone.

NEW YEAR TRADITIONS FOR FUN

In England they believe that the first visitor to the home should be male and bring a gift of coal (fire in the house throughout the year), bread (food for the year), and a drink for the "master" of the house. That he should go in the front door and out the back. In Wales at midnight they open the back door, then quickly open the front. In Spain they try to eat one grape at every stroke of the clock at midnight (let's hope they either have slow clocks or have 911). In Norway, they do the Almond Gift Rice Pudding (that the Danes do at Christmas) and the person who gets the almond is supposed to have wealth throughout the year. In Sicily they believe that the ONLY noodle that should be eaten on New Year's is Lasagna. And of course in the American Southeast, the tradition is to eat Ham and Black-Eyed Peas (or as my dad would insist Black-Eyed Beans:-). I noticed the commissary was completely out of the latter Monday. Just a little folklore for fun. POST IT...on your calendar or shopping list.

A BIT BELATED

Do you know why the Animal Cracker boxes were all (until recently) designed with strings on top? They were originally made to hang on Christmas trees as gifts for the children. POST IT...in your Christmas box. 

REQUESTS

Let me know if you have any subject you would like to see covered in future issues. 

JOKE (Courtesy of the Casinellis)

Did you hear about the Buddhist monk who needed a root canal and refused the dentist's Novocain? He wanted to TRANSCEND DENTAL MEDICATION. :-)

QUOTE

"It is not by regretting what is irreparable that true work is to be done, but by making the best of what we are. It is not by complaining that we have not the right tools, but by using well the tools we have. What we are, and where we are, is God's providential arrangement, --God's doing, though it may be man's misdoing. The manly and the wise way is to look your disadvantages in the face and see what can be made out of them. Life, like war, is a series of mistakes, and he is not the best Christian nor the best general who makes the fewest false steps. He is the best who wins the most splendid victories by the retrieval of mistakes. Forget mistakes; organize victory out of mistakes!"

F. W. Robertson (1816-1853)

Happy New Year,

Sharon

^i^

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