Helpful Hints

If you're still trying to come up with an interesting vacation destination this summer, the Los Angeles Times recently published an article outlining the most overlooked attractions in the western U.S.  Here is the link to the article.  Click here.

Nutrionist Jonny Bowden has produced a list of the 11 best foods we aren't eating enough!  One of the foods is canned pumpkin.  He says it is high in fiber and has immune-stimulating vitamin A...and the added benefit of making you feel full on very few calories.  Here is one of my favorite recipes...that is extremely simple to make and features pumpkin!!

 

Pumpkin Spice Muffins:

 

1 box spice cake mix

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin

5 oz water

1 1/2 t baking powder

1 c powdered sugar

2-3 T fat free milk (more or less depending on the icing consistency you desire)

 

Simply mix the first 4 ingredients and spoon the batter into 12 muffin tins.   Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Remove muffins from tin and let cool.  Mix powdered sugar and fat free milk to make icing.  Spread icing over muffins.

 

 

Looking for something new to do this summer for your family vacation?  How about a zipline adventure?  I even did this recently, and if I can do it, anybody can!!   Here is a USA Today article profiling a few zipline parks across the U.S.  Click here to read the article.  Raul and I visited the ziplines at Whistler, British Columbia. 

Is there a possibility that the reason your relationship feels either combustive or empty is because you have a destructive communication pattern going on?   Well-known counselor and author Gary Chapman has written a very good article outlining the 4 major destructive communication patterns, characterized by the dove, the hawk, the owl, and the ostrich!  Click here to read the article found in Christianity Today.

Sports

 

1.  Raging Bull - 1980

2.  Rocky - 1976

3.  The Pride of the Yankees - 1942

4.  Hoosiers - 1986

5.  Bull Durham - 1988

6.  The Hustler - 1961

7.  Caddyshack - 1980

8.  Breaking Away - 1979

9.  National Velvet - 1944

10.  Jerry Maguire - 1996

 

Romantic Comedy

 

1.  City Lights - 1931

2.  Annie Hall - 1977

3.  It Happened One Night - 1934

4.  Roman Holiday - 1953

5.  The Philadelphia Story - 1940

6.  When Harry Met Sally - 1989

7.  Adam's Rib - 1949

8.  Moonstruck - 1987

9.  Harold and Maude - 1971

10.  Sleepless in Seattle - 1993

 

Epic

 

1.  Lawrence of Arabia - 1962

2.  Ben-Hur - 1959

3.  Schindler's List - 1993

4.  Gone With The Wind - 1939

5.  Spartacus - 1960

6.  Titanic - 1997

7.  All Quiet on the Western Front - 1930

8.  Saving Private Ryan - 1998

9.  Reds - 1981

10.  The Ten Commandments - 1956

 

Fantasy

 

1.  The Wizard of Oz - 1939

2.  The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - 2001

3.  It's A Wonderful Life - 1946

4.  King Kong - 1933

5.  Miracle on 34th Street - 1947

6.  Field of Dreams - 1989

7.  Harvey - 1950

8.  Groundhog Day - 1993

9.  The Thief of Bagdad - 1924

10.  Big - 1988

 

Western

 

1.  The Searchers - 1956

2.  High Noon - 1952

3.  Shane - 1953

4.  Unforgiven - 1992

5.  Red River - 1948

6.  The Wild BUnch - 1969

7.  Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid - 1969

8.  McCabe and Mrs Miller - 1971

9.  Stagecoach - 1939

10.  Cat Ballou - 1965

 

Mystery

 

1.  Vertigo - 1959

2.  Chinatown - 1974

3.  Rear Window - 1954

4.  Laura - 1944

5.  The Third Man - 1949

6.  The Maltese Falcon - 1941

7.  North by Northwest - 1959

8.  Blue Velvet - 1986

9.  Dial M for Murder - 1954

10.  The Usual Suspects - 1995

Here are the top 10 recommendations from the American Film Institute in 3 genres:  Animation, Science Fiction and Courtroom Drama

 

Animation

 

1.  Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - 1937

2.  Pinocchio - 1940

3.  Bambi - 1942

4.  The Lion King - 1994

5.  Fantasia - 1940

6.  Toy Story - 1995

7.  Beauty and the Beast - 1991

8.  Shrek - 2001

9.  Cinderella - 1950

10.  Finding Nemo - 2003

 

Science Fiction

 

1.  2001: A Space Odyssey - 1968

2.  Star Wars: Episode IV - 1977

3.  E T the Extra Terrestrial - 1982

4.  A Clockwork Orange - 1971

5.  The Day The Earth Stood Still - 1951

6.  Blade Runner - 1982

7.  Alien - 1979

8.  Terminator 2: Judgment Day - 1991

9.  Invasion of the Body Snatchers - 1956

10. Back to the Future - 1985

 

Courtroom Drama

 

1. To Kill a Mockingbird - 1962

2.  12 Angry Men - 1957

3.  Kramer vs Kramer - 1979

4.  The Verdict - 1982

5.  A Few Good Men - 1992

6.  Witness for the Prosecution - 1957

7.  Anatomy of a Murder - 1959

8.  In Cold Blodd - 1967

9.  A Cry in the Dark - 1988

10.  Judgment in Nuremburg - 1961

 

Did you know you can turn your old home computer into a surveillance system for just a few hundred dollars?  Well, you can...and that means you could have an easy way to check up on the babysitter, or make sure your elderly parents are okay at their own home, or make sure you catch anyone breaking into your house!   Click here  for a link to a Chicago Tribune article that tells you how to do this.

Thinking about holding a garage sale or yard sale this summer?   I found some practical tips in a recent Chicago Tribune article.  Here are some of them:

• Borrow tables from your church so you have a place to display your stuff
• Hang a clothesline to better display clothes
• Advertise for free on craigslist.com
• Make sure you put big signs on street poles, and make sure you cover them in plastic in case of rain
• Call the Salavation Army (or other charity) ahead of time so that they are on hand to pick up any left over stuff at the end of the sale
• Do not accept coins.  They're time-consuming to count.  If you have cheap stuff, then sell them 3 for $1 or something.
• Make sure you put all your expensive stuff together on one table and then assign a friend or relative to watch that table for possible theft.
• Guard your cash by wearing a fanny pack or carpenter's apron where you can keep it with you.
• If a buyer wants you to hold an item, make sure they pay you a sizeable, non-refundable deposit.
• A few hours before closing, put a notice on craigslist.com that when the sale ends, everything is free.  People will relieve you of a lot of junk that you won't have to cart away!

I found a good article in the Seattle P-I ...full of pretty easy ways to really stretch your dollars. 

Click here to read the article.

If you'll be doing some traveling this summer on the roads, here is a really helpful article with tips for you on how to find cheaper gas stations.      Click here to read article.

Here is a good article outlining all sorts of special deals and bargains to make this year's summer vacation a little more affordable!  Click here to view the article in the New York Times.

Tired of the runny nose, and the sneezing , and the itchy eyes?  No, this is not an advertisement for a new allergy pill!   I found a good article in the Chicago Tribune about 5 ways to reduce the allergens in your home that are causing you problems.  Click here  to view article. 

If you're like me, you're probably thinking about starting to grow some of your own food to help your family deal with soaring food prices in the grocery stores.  I've always wanted to grow my own tomatoes but thought I would have to give up on that this year since I'm starting kind of late (early June).  But not to fear!  The experts say it's not too late.  Here is a link to a good article in the New York Times called "Procrastinators Can Still Grow Tomatoes".  Click here.

Reporters at the New York Times pooled their thoughts on places to go with the family this summer here in the U.S., and their top 5 picks are:

 

5 - Capitol Reef National Park in Utah (beautiful mesas and wild canyons)

4 - Philadelphia (history lessons plus the Philadelphia Zoo)

3 - Las Vegas (a great pool vacation at the Flamingo Las Vegas)

2 - New Hampshire (for rugged terrain and great mountain biking trails)

1 - Texas Hill Country (beautiful green hills that look like Tuscany, see picture)

 

For the complete article, click here

 

Debbie's top picks are:

• Bryce Canyon, Utah
• Olympic National Park (Hoh Rain Forest and Hurricane Ridge)
• the Sand Dunes in Oregon

 

Did you know that over 85,000 Americans end up in emergency rooms each year due to lawn-mowing accidents?  Yikes!  Here are 5 quick tips to make your lawn-mowing experience a safe one!

• Don't disable any safety devices such as blade guards...and never try to free a jammed blade unless you first remove the spark plug on gas mower or unplug an electric mower.
• Don't wear flip flops or baggy pants because they can easily get pulled into the mower blades.
• A power mower can exceed 85 decibels which can cause permanent hearing loss, so wear ear plugs or ear-muff style headphones.
• Pick up ALL the stuff lying hidden in your lawn so that they aren't flung into the air by the blades.
• Don't ever carry children or anyone else besides you on your riding lawn mower.  The mowers can tip or the children can fall off.

 

The Parent Television Council has issued its report card on which TV shows are the best and which are the worst for kids to watch.  Here are the 5 shows they say are completely unsuitable for children:

• Grey's Anatomy
• Heroes
• CSI
• American Dad
• Family Guy

If your family is opting for a less expensive vacation this year, you may be thinking about camping.  Here are some great tips I discovered for making your camping adventure with kids more enjoyable:

• Make sure you bring a baby monitor if you have small ones.  This will help you to relax outside the tent while the young ones are napping or asleep for the night.
• Attach bells to your toddler's shoes so it's easy to keep track of them if they wander away from the tent for a minute.
• Have grade school children where a whistle around their neck in case they get lost.
• Make sure to bring the camera or camcorder to record your family moments!
• It's really smart to make reservations at campgrounds far in advance.  They get booked quickly.
• Ask for a campsite far away from the trash bins.  (This helps you to avoid flies and smells!)
• Create a camping checklist on your computer.  This REALLY helps, so that you don't forget anything.
• Bring lids for pots and cookware.  This helps your food to cook more quickly on a campstove.
• Pack 2 coolers...one for beverages that will be opened a lot...and the other for primary meal items.
• Put your cooler in the shade and cover it with a wet towel.  This will help it stay cooler longer.
• Pre-chill your cooler contents at home before you leave.
• Firewood may be scare at campsites, so take some with you.
• Be sure to take a tent state mallet with you as well as a tent stake puller.
• Use a tarp or ground cover under your tent!!
• Partially unzip the upper window of your tent to allow excess moisture to drift out.
• Zip open you sleeping bag for a few minutes every morning to remove moisture and then shake it to fluff up the insulation.  You will sleep warmer at night!

The New York Times had a very useful article recently about the very best way to eat and cook various vegetables and fruits in order to get the optimum health benefit.   Here are some tips:

- Spinach is best eaten raw because it loses 64% of its vitamin C after cooking.

- Peas and carrots that have been canned lose about 90% of their Vitamin C.

- Cherries lose as much as 50 percent of their healthy compounds when frozen.

- Steaming or boiling broccoli causes it to lose 30% of its vitamin C, but microwaving it doesn't.

 

   According to a recent article in the Seattle P-I, there are 4 specific herbs that add tremendous health benefits to your green salad.  They contain phenols that protect your cells against oxidative damage which can lead to cancer and heart disease.  These 4 herbs are sage, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram.

   The article also says that five specific vegetables add tremendous health benefits to your lettuce salad as well.  They are artichokes, beets, broccoli, garlic, and spinach.

• Use fabric crayons to design individual t-shirts
• Build a fort outside or build a tent-fort inside by throwing sheets over tables
• Create a traveling frienship basket that you load with special things and pass on to friends
• Go camping in the backyard and cook breakfast on the barbecue
• Create a family newsletter on the computer and send to grandparents
• Give each child a section of space in the backyard for their own mini-garden
• Read a psalm together and then write a psalm of praise for your family
• Make puppets out of lunch sacks or old socks and do a puppet show
• Play 20 questions as each family member picks out a Bible character
• Have a bonfire outdoors and roast hot dogs and marshmallows
• String popcorn and place on a backyard tree for the birds to eat
• Visit 10 Saturday garage sales and see who can get the best deal for $1
• Make a family pizza and let the kids pick put the toppings
• Go spruce up the yard of an elderly or ill neighbor
• Make homemade ice cream
• Make a double batch of cookies and deliver one to a needy family
• Go on a breakfast picnic
• Plan an scavenger hunt (either inside or outside your house) using letters of the alphabet
• Read a book in the "Chronicles of Narnia" series out loud to your kids
• Look through your family photo albums together
• Work on a jigsaw puzzle together

Wedding Gift Ideas:

• Gift certificate to preserve the bridal flower bouquet
• Barbecue
• A basket with different color candles with notes telling what candles to light on what important days during their first year in marriage
• Garden equipment
• Netflix membership
• A basket filled with the makings of a great movie night cuddled up at home, with pizza certificates, popcorn, candy bars, and movie rental certificates.
• Picnic basket
• Recipe box with a dozen of your best recipes
• A calendar featuring pictures of the couple for each month
• A gift certificate for a fancy restaurant at their honeymoon location

Bridal Shower Gift Ideas:

• A really expensive bottle of perfume she can wear on the big day
• Instead of lingerie, be different. Give soft microfleece pajamas with feet in them!
• Scrapbooking supplies to commemorate their first year together
• A really nice cutting board that everyone signs with a permanent marker at the shower
• Make up a basket with matching robes (with their intials on them) along with an envelope for the the prospective bride and groom to go to the spa before their wedding.

Wondering how many calories are in Grandma Helen's lasagna?  Just how much fat is in that slice of homemade apple pie?  I found a great on-line resource for calculating the calories and fat content in your own recipes.   Actually, this site calculates all sorts of nutritional information.  Click here to go to this free on-line service.

I found a great article on growing your own herbs for cooking, like basil, oregano, and rosemary.  It's really easy to do...even if you don't have a garden plot...because you can easily grow these herbs in your patio pots and containers!.  Click here to read the article.

You can save tons of money on airfare this summer if you search for special deals instead of just relying on what's presented to you on the popular travel sites like Expedia and Orbitz.  Travel experts say you should sign up for email alerts from travel search websites like Hotwire.com and SideStep and you may be able to find fares as low as $18 round-trip!  Click on the links below to go directly to those sites:

• Hotwire
• SideStep

Out 'n' About Treesort in Takilma, Oregon:

 

This one is basically a Swiss Family Robinson hotel!  There are 14 separate treehouses where families stay and you get to climb ladders and walk across a 90 foot suspension bridge to get there.  Plus, there's a 160-foot long zip line on site.  The Treesort also features horseback riding, rafting, ropes courses, pools, and more.  For more info, click here

 

Tanque Verde Ranch in Tuscon, Arizona:

 

This is a huge dude ranch with 120 horses that offers a Breakfast Ride, Six-hour long Day Rides, and Picnic Rides.  Newcomers can take riding lessons at a variety of levels.  Guides take you on rides through the desert, into canyons, and next to hidden waterfalls.  For more info, click here.

 

Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas:

 

This resort re-creates the infamous lost continent, and includes 50,000 animals such as sharks, lionfish, and stingrays.  Therer are also 11 pool areas and seven different water slides.  The Mayan Temple's Leap of Faith slide features a 60 foot drop into a tunnel submerged in a "shark-infested" lagoon.  For more info, click here.

Did you know that household vinegar can effectively kill your garden and lawn weeds without damaging the environment?  It's true.  I stumbled upon this great article.  Click here to read it.

This is apparently the latest trend in lawns...lawns made out of moss!  They require little maintenance... no lawn mowing and very little watering.  Amazing!   There was a very interesting article about this in the New York Times on May 1st.  Click here  for article.

One of the most beautiful places on earth is the Olympic National Park in Washington State.  From the park's Hurricane Ridge, you are treated to breath-taking views of the snow-covered mountain peaks of the Olympic Mountains...and inside the park's Hoh Rain Forest, your senses will be filled with spectacular displays of moss hanging in sheets from huge, ancient trees.  A 2 day trip through the Olympic Park area would be a great mini-summer vacation!  For ideas on where to stay, here is a great article on some of the historic lodges in the area.  Click here to read the article.