SRKindredSpirits

I have found over the years, that having a clean, simple, refreshing home offers many benefits....  We can welcoming guests into our home without feeling embarrassed by a messy house or a sink full of dirty dishes. It gives my family a place to relax, to be ourselves. But most importantly, having a clean home is refreshing to my soul. I love my home and the peace and comfort it provides. If you find yourself in the midst of a home full of clutter, and you're not sure where to begin... try these ten simple things....  1. Fresh flowers on my table are a must . I buy a small bouquet about every 3 weeks during the winter to keep on the table. In the Spring and Summer, I pick flowers from my garden. It is my ray of happiness and is refreshing to my soul! It makes me smile every time I stop to smell them as I walk by.... (I am blessed to have a florist shop that gives me a discount if I pick out and arrange the bouquets at home myself, so I can purchase floral stems

It's a beautiful, windy, day in East Central Indiana..... The sun is out and I have tulips peeping through the ground in my flower beds, which makes me very happy! Spring will be here in 20 days, 6 hrs, 42 min and a few seconds.... but who's counting, right!?!?! Here's a cookie recipe that we like. It is light and fluffy and reminds me of Spring. Enjoy! Lemon Crinkle Cookies   Makes 2-3 dozen                                   ½ cups butter, softened                    1 cup granulated sugar                                   ½ teaspoons vanilla extract              1 whole egg                                   1 teaspoon lemon zest                      1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice                                   ¼ teaspoons salt                              ¼ teaspoons baking powder                                   ⅛ teaspoons baking soda                 1-½ cup all-purpose flour                                                            

Slow down. OK, so here's some thoughts. We are a family of 5 . We each go to the dentist for checkups and cleanings 2 times a year. 5 x 2 =10 My oldest daughter volunteers at the vet clinic on Mondays = 1 x 52 = 52. Our special needs son gets Speech Therapy 2xs per week = 2 x 52 = 104 My daughter takes violin lessons every week 1 x 52 = 52 I am a certified crisis counselor and volunteer at the Pregnancy Crisis Center every week =1 x 52 =52 My hubby works on average 6 days a week 6 x 52 = 312 Our daughter has braces and goes to the orthodontist in Ohio 6 times a year. 6 Weekly grocery shopping =1 x 52 = 52 Sunday morning church 1 x 52 = 52 Date nights.... 1 x per month = 12 ....our total is now over 700 things. .... this does not include the other shopping trips like animal feed, or house projects, visiting family, holiday get-togethers, driving to Ohio to pick up fruit for canning, vacations, school field trips, library, eating out, date nights, etc. Nor does it

You know some people look at me and say that I'm not qualified to talk about nutrition. After all, I am not skinny, I don't run marathons, I cook and bake too much yummy food for my family, and I am not a doctor - and that, my friend, is all true.  But ya know..... 5 yrs ago, we had a very sick little girl who spent her days lying on a sofa, she was in the middle stages of kidney failure, she spent a few days a week going to the doctors, and local hospital for tests and cultures and going to a Children's Hospital a couple hours away monthly - she had 8 specialists. She was on 5 different adult dosage medications for over 4 years  - it was a merry-go-round. One medication would help symptom A, but its side effect would cause symptom B for which she would be put on another medication for symptom B, which would have a side effect that would cause symptom C, for which she'd be put on another medication.....  Add to that our Special Needs Son who has had 2 surger

Seriously Folks..... do your research! Don't take stuff (vitamins/slim/energy drinks/essential oils, etc.) just because they ‘seem’ to work. Your health is much more important in the long run! Find the scientific research on the products.... look up the clinical studies. You owe it to yourself. Here is a study done with 12 different herbal companies, and the results they got when testing the product. Only 2 had the authentic product! Crazy!   This is why we are so picky with the supplements we use, but please, don't take our word for it.... here are 5 questions to ask your company and some of their phone numbers...... ‪ 1. Are your final products organic and free of pesticides, herbicides and chemicals? "Natural" and 'organic" simple will not cut it. They cannot just 'start out' organic. The "Organic" farm listed on the website does not tell you anything about the finished product. The pill or shake that you put in your mouth mu

This year I made serving stands for my mom, sisters, and sister in laws for Christmas. They were so much fun to make and pretty easy too.  I started by shopping thrift stores. I tried to buy a tea cup or small dish or plate as a topper, two vases or candle holders (turned upside down) and three plates - small, medium, and large, for each serving stand. I actually didn't buy dishes with the thought of my siblings taste in colors at all - I just randomly purchased plates, and cups that I thought looked unique.... the shopping part was fun! After I got everything purchased, I took an evening and started putting different plates together. I kept trying different colors and patterns, until I got a set that I liked. Then I stacked them together and started doing the same for the next one, etc. After I decided on the colors and plates for each serving stand, I started gluing them together. I used gorilla glue for glass and pottery that dried clear. The tr

Do you know how many friends you have on Facebook??? It's funny, most of the people on Facebook who are my friends, I don't talk to much in real life at all. Facebook started out as a good way to connect with extended family, cousins, aunts, and old friends from different parts of my past life. I always thought that people who didn't like Facebook and those who said there was too much drama, were the ones who caused the drama. I thought they were crazy.... But the last few years, I've started to realize something. My friends on Facebook were there to like a picture and a few would add a comment from time to time, but in my real life. .... I had no one. When I had rough days with exhaustion from my cancer, when my dad was in the hospital, when my grandpa was on his death bed.... not one 'Facebook friend' offered to make a meal or watch the kids so I could spend time caring for my dad and grandpa. No one (except for my mom) offered to help wash the dish

Wednesday is Veterans Day, and we want to say thank you to those who have served.  Veterans, we love you!  I have heard stories of the sacrifices, courage, strength and dedication that our veterans have made to our country. To thank and honor all of our veterans, both active and retired here is a list for veterans and active military members: 9/11 Memorial and Museum  -- Veterans will receive free Museum admission from  November 7 to November 11 . AARP  is offering a 20% membership discount for veterans, their families, and anyone interested in annual or multi-year memberships and renewals. Amazon.com   is offering 20% off of select apparel on Veterans Day 11/11/15. Promotion code: “20veterans” Army Corp of Engineers Recreation Areas  -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will waive day use fees for veterans, active and reserve component service members, and their families at the USACE-operated recreation areas nationwide on  November 11 . B&Bs for

Veterans, we love you and we want to say thank you to those who have served!  I have heard stories of the sacrifices, courage, strength and dedication that our veterans have made to our country. To thank and honor all of our veterans, both active and retired, and their partners, Shaklee is offering a FREE Distributor Welcome Kit, ($49.95 value) to our veterans for their service to our country. Shaklee honors our Veterans (both active and retired) with a FREE Distributor Welcome Kit, ($49.95 value). This is a great offer and way for military families to earn an income that can provide them the freedom and flexibility to live out their American Dream.                What does the Distributor Welcome Kit include? The Shaklee Veterans Free Distributor Welcome Kit includes all the basic tools for success. You will receive:   A 15%–25% discount on products you purchase , with the potential to earn up to 16% in price differential, up to 20% on group purchase

To all the girls out there..... YOU need a Diva Cup!!!! Warning: this conversation is not for boys or immature women. The Diva Cup has changed my life (at least that 'time of month') and it can change yours too! What is a Diva Cup?!?! The Diva Cup is a re-useable, silicone, menstrual cup that is inserted into your vagina, and is used to collect blood during “that time of the month.” It sits snugly and comfortably without being noticed. A couple times a day, you gently remove it, empty it’s contents into the toilet, rinse it out, and re-insert. It’s a super quick, easy, and clean process, and is not as bizarre as it sounds. Please, hear me out before you click away. Pads, in my opinion, are just gross. You’re basically sitting in an adult diaper that moves around, leaks and is just no fun to sit on. I hated them when I was a teenager and still do. Tampons are better as far as being “neater”, but they run the risk of TSS (Toxic Shock Syndrome) and death (go read

This year Hubby and I took a trip to Arizona to celebrate our 10 Year Anniversary ! Hubby took a few days off work, and I paid for the trip with our  Shaklee biz income.  We flew from Indy to Las Vegas, NV. We caught a short flight into Phoenix, AZ. (Looking back, we wish we would have just drove from Nevada into Arizona, as we wasted time getting a flight into Phoenix.) It was a warm 80* in Phoenix.... we got a rental car in Phoenix and started driving North. The scenery with the open land, mountains, hills and cacti was absolutely beautiful! We stopped in Camden to get gas, eat, and stretch our legs. They have the cutest gift shop with everything you can imagine at the Camden Trading Post. (The food and service was great too!) And, the weather was perfect! We crossed into Utah and reached Monument Valley around dusk. We stayed overnight in the one and only Monument Valley Hotel. The views were amazing! Every room has a balcony facing the