I've been using newspaper to clean windows since I learned it from my friend's mom years ago when I was a kid. There are no streaks and the windows really shine. I'm looking forward to taking this idea a bit further and want to build up an arsenal of useful ingredients. So what would you all suggest to have on hand besides vinegar, baking soda and the those already mentioned essential oils? Thanks everyone for your input. Blessings, Lucinda

Some of you are way, way ahead of me on this, but for those that aren't I thought I'd share this. I've always been interested in natural home cleaning products (as well as personal hygiene, etc.), but I've never totally jumped into that lifestyle change. Today, however, I wanted to clean some windows and realized that I was out of my Win--x brand spay cleaner. It occurred to me that we had a lot of vinegar in the house and wondered if it might work. I then asked my dear mother, age 78, who lives with us what my grandmother would have used to clean her windows. Mom said she would have used about 1 c. white vinegar diluted in 1 gal. water. So I mixed it up and went to town on my french doors. It worked beautifully! So now I'm thinking about how much of a cost savings this alone would be if I stopped buying my brand name cleaner. I know there are a lot of products I could stop buying too. I could just go by what my grandmother used or get info from the myriad of information available on the Internet. We've all been talking about cutting back on costs, and going green is the growing philosophy of the day. It would really be easy to take the time to convert over to using natural products as much as possible. Does anyone have household "recipes" or ideas to share along these lines? It seems pretty timely to be talking about it with the economy challenges we're dealing with. Blessings, Lucinda

I am homeschooling my youngest child and we started last fall at the beginning of 3rd grade. She had been in ps for k-2 years, but we pulled her out when we realized that schools were changing rapidly along with our culture in ways that we are immensely concerned. Our older children went to ps and they are all grown and gone now. There was a very noticeable change in the way schools are operating vs the way things were when the other children were there. We noticed that there is such a major focus on social things in school and that education was no longer the primary reason to be there. While in ps, every day there was some sort of drama going on between dd and her peers. Our dd is a happy, polite, well-adjusted child, but she would get caught in the middle of things on a regular basis. From there, teachers were making choices for handling problems without input from parents. In one case we didn't even know there was an issue with dd and some other girls until it was already over. The girls had been sent to a yoga class to learn problem resolution! When I found this out, it was the last straw. She was only 7 yo and we weren't even given a chance to approve/disapprove of this. All that aside, we met some wonderful people that were homeschooling their children and were very impressed by what we saw, heard and learned from them. Then I read the WTM and was completely convinced it was the course of action to take. What a wonderful book! It was the real deal breaker in my opinion. Since I would be taking on the lead role in this, I talked to dh and shared with him the strongest points from the book. He immediately bought into the idea. He had also taken stock in what the other family's dh/dad had shared with him. We agreed to try it for a year before checking out private schools. At the same time I was interviewing with a local classical Christian private school and was hired. I now had a part-time position that would allow me to work and homeschool together. Through this I am learning more about classical education through my job, and that helps me a great deal with my dd at home. Eventually, she will go to the school where I teach, but for now we are enjoying what we are doing. It is a very precious, time for dd and I. I know it will have a lasting impact on her. Our whole family is happy that we can incorporate our faith into the curriculm - something that is one of the strongest benefits in our opinion. Also, I know that I'm the only one that can provide what dd needs the most. It is a genuine calling to do this, one that humbles me often. You have been given some wonderful advice already. I'll just echo the idea that you should go with your gut feeling. PS cannot meet the needs of every child and every family. As parents we are the ones that must make the decisions about what is best for our children. It isn't necessary to hand them over to strangers with blind trust. Blessings, Lucinda

We are doing the same here exactly. Another thing I've been trying to do is make right turns as often as possible instead of left turns. UPS has been doing this and they claim to be savubg huge amounts of money on gas. If you think about it, left turns usually mean a long wait for traffic while the car idles. :auto: Blessings, Lucinda

but I am an older mom than a lot of parents on this board. I remember paying 29 cents a gallon in my early driving years (1973 to be exact), and back then you also got the following with a fill-up: Full window wash & oil check S & H Green Stamps (For those of you that don't know about savings stamps: after each purchase you'd paste them into books until you had enough to trade in for cool stuff from a store or catalog) Free drinking glass (we collected matching sets of them) Free maps of the area AND/OR directions from the attendantIn my mind I don't seem old enough to say, "Those were the good ol' days!" but I guess I must be because they really were. Blessings, Lucinda

I've read all the posts and realize that there may be more going on under the surface, but here are some thoughts to consider. We live in a world full of peer pressure and good parents truly want to raise kids that learn to think for themselves. I think it is awesome that your daughter has chosen to make a personal choice based on what she feels God is saying to her. I would be so proud to know that my daughter is interested in pleasing God with her life. In time she will also learn more about loving her neighbors, but right now she is focused on loving God and that is AWESOME! Your dd may or may not change or soften her view on this one issue, but for now she is also learning to make a stand for what she believes is right. Just be thankful that she is more strong willed than amiable and that this is a life lesson that will lead to other life lessons. She is learning to use her strong will for reasons that are good. As irritating as it feels, this is a really important development in her life. I would have to say that I'd show respect to her for this and allow her to follow her conscience without making a big deal of it. Along with that, I would also sit down and talk to her about how important it is to not expect others to live by our own personal standards. Just as you respect her, she must also respect you and others in the family. I'd also find ways to teach her about how Jesus was opposed to legalism and that there is a BIG difference between obeying God and becoming self-righteous. More than anything, I would be praying for my daughter during this very important, very vulnerable stage in life. Just be sure to keep the door open for lots of conversations as she reaches out and needs you. Bless you, my friend. Just remember, parenting isn't for weenies! Learning to let go is the hardest part of raising kids. Lucinda

I agree with your husband! Bless you, Lucinda

You are awesome, Lorna! Blessings, Lucinda

One of my adult ds has Bipolar Disorder and has had three very, very serious episodes in the past nine years. As his mom I have to say that I would run to the ends of the earth to save his life. Thankfully we have a family that pulls together when there is a crisis, but two years ago we had two very ill members of the family at the same time so we had to split up to cover all bases. I had to advocate and watch over my son all alone or he would have died for sure. It was constantly tiring and emotional for six solid months, but we survived. It was the hardest six months of my entire life, but I'd do it again (and again) to save him if I had to. I subscribe to the ohana statement. We are family! Blessings, Lucinda

We love maps, but don't have enough wall space right now. When our attic remodel is eventually done there will be a place in the studio/reading room/school room. Can't wait to hang my big map of the world there! Blessings, Lucinda

Yeah, Amazing Grace is another good pick. My history focus was always on John Newton until I started reading about Wilberforce and then saw the movie. It really inspired me to keep on keeping on, living by my convictions. More movies anyone? Blessings, Lucinda

We did a Quicken report the other day and learned that our gas consumption has more than doubled just since JANUARY. Since dh has a long commute to work each day and we live 11 miles from town we were already cutting back on trips. Now we are even more concerned because they say the gas prices will continue to go up. The extra cost keeps us from registering dd in community rec classes. It's not just the registration fees, but also the back and forth to classes. We don't go into town unless necessary and even then we try to piggy back with multiple errands, dd's play dates with friends, going to church, etc. We've also been playing more games for enjoyment at home and finding things to do for fun either at home or in our immediate area. I think this has opened our eyes to how spoiled we've been with living our lives in America. Blessings, Lucinda

Hi there, I'm an artist and art teacher and will do my best to suggest. First of all, because it is a mix of acrylics and poster paint on a plastic surface it will most likely crack, peal and flake in time. Moisture could also cause the poster paint to dissolve, or even worse it could cause mold on the shower curtain. You could try to spray with a fixative, but because the surface is plastic there are no guarantees. I would take pictures of it right away, then roll it up on to a long tube or dowel of some sort then store it horizontally in a dark, dry place. Folding it would be the end of it for sure. Is there anywhere you could hang it for a while to enjoy or is it too big? I'm thinking just take lots of pictures and be sure to tell her next time just use acrylic paint on canvas or flat sheets on stretcher bars. Oh, don't forget to post pictures for us to see too! Blessings, Lucinda

Lucinda

Thanks everyone. I've already got a couple of movie titles to put in our Netflix que thanks to this thread. Anybody else? Keep the titles coming, friends! Lucinda

To the op, I feel the same as this poster too. My heart goes out to you so much! Please know that others care about you as you grieve over this painful loss. Blessings, Lucinda

This reminds me of the movie, "End of the Spear". Its message about forgiveness had a real effect on me too. I don't buy movies either, but we have Netflix and rent our DVD's one at a time on an unlimited monthly basis. We're very selective though...most of our movies are for the whole family to watch together. Blessings, Lucinda

I just love that age, don't you? Shhhhh! Blessings, Lucinda

This is a fantastic movie. It brings history alive, but more than anything it teaches a powerful message about how we live and believe. I hope you see it soon, my friend! Blessings, Lucinda

Hello friends, Last night my family and I watched "Cry the Beloved Country" with James Earl Jones. I was so deeply touched that I'm still thinking about it nearly 24 hours later. For anyone that hasn't seen it, I highly recommend it. I was so touched on so many levels that I am still processing it and would find it hard to put it into words yet. There are times that God uses a movie to teach me about truth or principles in following the way of Christ, and this is one of those really special ones. Even today when I had my devotions I felt that watching the movie was connected to what I was reading and sensing in my spirit. Have any of you ever had similar experiences? If so, then please share about it. What movies were the most inspiring? Blessings, Lucinda

Ooooooh, I'm with you on this one Asta. It's one of my favorite meals! I've also mixed in leftover veggies, rice or potatoes, and even made a Greek version with a little chopped Kalamata olives, crumbled Feta cheese and served with warm pita bread. I personally think like several other posters that you don't want to over cook the eggs. A light texture is what it's all about. Blessings, Lucinda

Mine is a painting by 18th century painter Jean-Honore Fragonard called "The Reader". I identify with this painting because I have painted a number of portraits of women, so I really love the piece. I also relate to the image because as I homeschool my dd I am starting to read again, which I'm hoping will lead to the joys that I experienced when I was young reader. My actual photo is with my profiile. Good question. Thanks for asking! Blessings, Lucinda

Ohhhhh, I forgot Ice Age! And Monster's Inc.! So many movies, I just can't pick one. Lucinda

I can't decide if it would be the Toy Story movies, Beauty and the Beast or The Emporer's New Groove. Can't I vote for all four? Blessings, Lucinda