Cat One-Liners

• Can a cat play patty-cake? Pawsibly!
• Can anything be smarter than a cat that can count? Yes, a spelling bee!
• Did you hear about the cat who swallowed a ball of wool? She had mittens.
• How do cats end a fight? They hiss and make up.
• How do you know when your cat has been using your computer? When your mouse has teeth marks on it!
• How do you spell cat backwards? C-A-T-B-A-C-K-W-A-R-D-S!
• How do you spell mousetrap in just three letters? C-A-T!
• How do you stop a ten-pound parrot from talking too much? Buy a twenty-pound cat!
• How is a cat laying down like a coin? Because he has his head on one side and his tail on the other!
• How many cats can you put into an empty box? Only one. After that, the box isn't empty.
• What cat purrs more than any other? Purrsians!
• What did one cat say to another? Have you heard the mews today!
• What did the cat do when he swallowed some cheese? He waited by the mouse hole with baited breath!
• What do baby cats wear? Dia-purrs!
• What do cats use to make coffee? A purrcolator.
• What do you call a cat that sucks on lemons? A sour puss!
• What do you get if cross a Tomcat with a Pekingese? A Peking Tom!
• What do you use to comb a cat? A catacomb.
• What does a cat do when it gets mad? It has a hissy fit.
• What grade did the cat get on his test? He got a Purrrr-fect score!
• What has more lives than a cat? A frog - it croaks all the time!
• What is a cat's favorite color? Purrrrrrrple!
• What is a cat's favorite movie? "The Sound of Mewsic."
• What is a cat's favorite party game? Mews-ical chairs!
• What sport do cats play? Hairball!
• Who helped Cinderella's cat go to the ball? Her furry godmother!
• Why do you always find the cat in the last place you look? Because you stop looking after you find it.

Sherri's Helpful Hints

Lighted Crafts

Year-Round Luminarias craft
Clear glass canning jars in a variety of shapes and sizes
Sand in the color (or colors) of your choice
Pillar candles in sizes and colors to coordinate with your jars and your sand

Thoroughly clean jars with soap and water so that the lights will really shine.

Put sand in the bottoms of the jars, at least 2 inches deep - deeper for shorter candles. Seat one candle securely in each jar.

Although the flames are enclosed, don’t leave lighted luminarias unattended.

Miracle Candle craft
1 plain white candle
Colored wax (one solid color)

Melt the colored wax. Fill a saucer with melted colored wax, and place the white candle standing in the center. Quickly submerge the candle and saucer into a sink filled with cold water, pushing down quickly and removing quickly. The result will be a candle which resembles silk blowing in the wind.

Scrap Candle craft
Old candles, stubs, votives, sticks, etc. *
Old or new wicks
Wick anchor (if using)
Canning jars, baby food jars, etc.

* Use only one scented candle for each scrap candle you make.

Remove all the wicks and wick anchors before beginning. Melt all the scraps together in a double-boiler. If you don't have a double boiler, use a large metal can in a pan of boiling water. Place an old or new wick into the container. You may use a wick anchor in the bottom if you wish. This is suggested. Pour the hot wax into the jar of your choice. Put the container into a sink before you pour in the hot wax (just in case the container should break). Use a clothespin to hold the wick in the center until the candle has cooled and hardened.

Glass Mosaic Candle craft
Pillar candle
Egg carton
Glass mosaic tiles or flat marbles*
Tile grout
White glue

You can buy glass mosaic tiles at your craft store, or use bits of glass from bottles or dishes. You will need something to hold the candle in place while you glue the tiles/marbles onto it.

Place the candle on its side in the egg carton. Put a dab of glue on the tiles/marbles and press firmly onto the candle. The tiles want to slide down the sides of the candle, so work on one row at a time, allowing each row to dry fully before turning the candle and beginning the next row.

When the candle is covered with tiles/marbles, and fully dry, mix the tile grout in a small bowl. (Follow the instructions on the grout container.) Apply the grout to the outside of the candle with a flat stick (tongue depressor or Popsicle stick will work) or just use your hands. Allow the grout to set for about 10 to 15 minutes and then wipe with a damp rag or sponge. Wipe off the excess grout so that the tiles/marbles show through, but leave it about the same thickness in between all the tiles. Smooth the grout along the top of the candle. Allow to dry, then wipe again to fully clean all the glass tile surfaces.

You can make several of these and arrange them all together on a table, or put one candle in a shallow bowl and surround it with glass marbles, glass ornaments, etc.

When the candle has burned down almost completely, you can re-use it indefinitely by placing smaller candles in the center.

Apple Candles craft
Yellow and red apples make a wonderful candlelight decoration for fall entertaining.

Toothpick
Paring knife
Melon baller
Votive candles
Several medium-size apples, any colors desired
Lemon juice

Set one apple stem side up. Set the bottom of the votive candle over the stem. With a toothpick, poke holes around the base of the candle about 1/4 inch apart. This delineates the area to be removed so that the candle can fit into the hole.

Using a paring knife, cut along dotted circle and straight down about three-fourths of the way into the apple. Do not cut through the bottom of the apple.

Using the melon baller, scoop out the core and insides. Trim the opening with the paring knife to smooth any ragged edges. Rub the edges with lemon juice to prevent browning.

Repeat procedure with remaining apples.

Place a votive candle into each apple. You can place the prepared apples in the refrigerator until you are ready to set them on the table. This will also help to keep the candles burning longer! Light the candles just before guests come to the table.

Courtesy of Recipe Goldmine

Christian Quote of the Day

You have no questions to ask of any body, no new way that you need inquire after; no oracle that you need to consult; for whilst you shut yourself up in patience, meekness, humility, and resignation to God, you are in the very arms of Christ, your heart is His dwelling-place, and He lives and works in you.

...William Law

RECIPE of the Day - 6/30/2007

This is a delicious casserole that has a wonderful flavor and texture. You can use any flavor of spaghetti sauce that you like, they all work really well. This is a great dish for the kids, they love it. Serve with a nice salad and garlic bread.





Chicken and Ziti Casserole

2 T. olive oil
1 C. mushrooms, sliced
1 small zucchini, cubed
1/2 C. chopped onion
1 jar of Four Cheese spaghetti sauce
4 cups cooked vegetable rotini
1 1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 tablespoon grated Romano cheese

Heat olive oil in skillet and cook onion and zucchini until onion is translucent; stir in mushrooms and saute for 2 minutes. Stir together spaghetti sauce, cooked ziti, chicken and 1/2 cup mozzarella along with the onion, mushroom and zucchini mixture. Pour into a 2-quart casserole. Sprinkle with the remaining of Mozzarella and Romano cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

FREEBIES of the Day - 6/30/07

Original Pho sample. This is a traditional Vietnamese rice noodle soup and the original pho offers the following: real rice noodles with authentic texture, non-styrofoam cup with a sealable lid, foldable plastic fork for added convenience, perforated cardboard tray packaging ideal for easy storage, transport and work, and a light savory flavoring perfect for adding fresh herbs, vegetables and sauces as customary with original pho. To get this yummy rice noodle soup, click here!

Biofreeze sample. This is great for muscle aches and strains, arthritis or other joint pain and more. When my husband strained his abdominal muscles, they gave him Biofreeze, so it's what some doctors recommend and it's really good. To get your free sample, click here!

NouriFusion sample. This is made with Vitamins A (can help reverse the signs of premature aging, promotes skins own renewal, improves skin moisture content), C (helps your skin produce collagen, promotes firm skin tone, is a powerful antioxidant) and E (protects skin moisture, smoothes skin surface, reduces skin inflammation, is a powerful antioxidant) along with skin-enhancing herbal ingredients. They combine the best of nature and science to help give you beautiful healthy skin., click here!

Wendy's Hamburger for free in select cities. You can get a list of the cities and dates that you will need to be able to take advantage of this offer. The free burger times go from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. To find out where you can get a free Wendy's burger, click here!

Jamba Juice free smoothie. Print out a coupon for buy 1 get 1 free on their smoothies. These are all fruit (a lot of variety, too) and they are really refreshing and healthy. The offer is good through July 4th. To get your free smoothie from Jamba Juice, click here!

Kashi product free with survey. This survey is on the TLC product and takes 10 min. or so to complete. They will send you a coupon for a free Kashi product for taking the survey. To get your free Kashi product for a little bit of time, click here!

Stopain Spray sample. This is without a doubt the best pain spray my husband or I have ever tried. It works in 30 seconds and keeps the pain at bay for hours. I will keep this posted until the sample is no longer available; everyone who has pain needs to have the opportunity to try this. To get your free sample of Stopain, click here!

Kirkland Signature Diaper sample from Costco. You do not have to enter a member # for this one. These are supposed to be great diapers, so it can't hurt to try. To get your free diaper sample, click here!

Dish samples from American Discount China. You get 2 free dish samples of your choice when you register with them. This is a great opportunity to get a couple of nice dish items for crafts or whatever. To get your 2 free samples, click here!

Clip-Ins by Carol hair extension sample. These are 100% human hair and if you e-mail her at clipinsbycarol@yahoo.com, she will send you samples in whichever colors you would like. To view the selections available, click here!

Factory Tours USA. They have different factories and points of interest for every state and most of them are free. You just click on your state or any place that you will be visiting to get all the available tours. To visit some really interesting places for free, click here!

Free animated screensavers and wallpaper. They have some very cool designs (some are really great for the 4th) in so many different areas. To get your free screensavers and wallpaper, click here!

Spider Identification Chart. This gives you a full-color ready reference guide to common USA spiders with first aid spider bite procedures. They give you info on the brown recluse, black widow, hobo spider, wolf spider, white-tail spider, black house spider, huntsman and other spiders with notes to aid in identification. To get this valuable tool to keep your family safe, click here!

Payless Shoe Source coupon. This is good for $2.00 to $8.00 off, depending on how much you spend. Payless does have a nice selection of shoes at really good prices. To get your coupon, click here!

Target and Super Target printable coupons. They have a lot of useful coupons for your next trip to Target. To get your coupons, click here!

Linens-N-Things coupon. This is good for 20% off any 1 item and they do have lovely things there. This coupon is good through 7-01. To get your coupon for Linens-N-Things, click here!

Hollywood Video coupon. This is a rent 1 get 1 free coupon and is good through 6-30. To get 2 videos for the price of 1 rental, click here!

Milwaukee Zoo free admission for Vets and Military Personnel. This is on 7-1 and you not only get in free, but you also get free food and refreshments. You do have to have a wristband for this; so please contact either Joe at jfcampbell@machweld.com or Tim at TBARANZYK@wi.rr.com. To check out the Milwaukee Zoo info, click here!

AMC Theaters free movies. This is their Summer Movie Camp and it runs from 6-27 to 8-15. The free movies start at 10:00 a.m. every Wednesday and you even have a special price for a KidsPack refreshment which includes: one small drink, one small popcorn and a kid's size snack. To get more info on the free movies, click here!

Free concerts in Detroit. These free concerts are every Friday night at 8:00 p.m. starting 6-29 and ending 8-10. They have some great artists: Grand Funk Railroad, The Guess Who, Asia, 38 Special and more. To get a listing of the artists and dates, click here!

Birthday freebies. This has dozens of birthday freebie sites; everything from Baskin Robbins to Hollywood Video to Shoneys and much more. To get some cool birthday freebies for you and your whole family, click here!

Free prescription savings card from TogetherRx. Prescription drugs are so costly anymore, that we could all use a little extra help to keep the cost down. They have 4 requirements: legal resident of the US, not eligible for Medicare/Medicaid, income less than $30,000 for a single person and no other prescription drug coverage of any kind. To get this great deal, click here!

Software giveaway of the day - Features a different title every day. These are about $20.00 regular price, so what a deal!. For your free software, click here!

Game giveaway of the day - Features a different game every day. They have arcade, puzzle and action games. For your free game, click here!

Free 10 minute calling card from Callingcards.com. This is a global calling card - you can call anywhere - and there are no strings attached. They will e-mail you with the pin # and info and you're ready to start making calls. To get your free 10 minute calling card, click here!

Free phone number and voice mail from Private Phone. This is through Net Zero and is the greatest thing. You can have a phone number to give out for freebies, sweepstakes entries and to people that you don't want to have your actual phone number. They will get your voice mail (you record your own greeting) and you can check messages online or by calling the number. I have this and it is a real lifesaver. They send you e-mail or mobile phone notifications of messages that you get, so you know right away. To get this great deal, click here!

Free Online Language Courses from the BBC. This is a great opportunity to learn another language (or two or three...) and do it at your own pace. They give you correct pronunciation, helpful phrases, etc. I don't know of anyone who couldn't use this - I want to teach our daughter French, so this may be just the way to do it. To get your free online language courses, click here!

Veggie Booty Recall

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Veggie Booty, a snack particularly popular among small children, may carry Salmonella food poisoning and should be thrown out, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said.

The FDA said on Thursday at least 52 people in 17 states had become sick after eating the green-colored snack food marketed by Robert's American Gourmet. The New Jersey-based company said it had temporarily stopped making and selling the snack, which contains spinach, kale and other vegetables.

"Almost all the illnesses have occurred in children under 10 years old, with the most cases in toddlers. Most persons had reported bloody diarrhea; four were hospitalized," the FDA said in a statement.

"Veggie Booty is often consumed by children, so parents are encouraged to watch their children, and seek medical care if they observe signs of illness," the FDA added.

It said people who have recently eaten the snack and experienced symptoms should contact a doctor.

Salmonella infection usually causes diarrhea, often bloody, with abdominal cramps and fever. It can be life-threatening in infants, persons with poor underlying health and those with weakened immune systems.

The U.S. Centers for Disease control estimates that about 300,000 Americans each year are hospitalized with food-borne illnesses and 5,000 people die.

Robert's American Gourmet is recalling all potentially contaminated product, which is sold in all 50 states and Canada. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency issued a similar warning.

The company said its other products were safe. It posted a Web site about the recall at http://www.robscape.com/files/veggie-booty-recall.php.

"Due to the serious nature of the health risk, Robert's has decided to temporarily stop the manufacture and sale of Veggie Booty only until test results can positively identify the source," the company said on the Web site.

"We stand by our snacks and hope to resume making Veggie Booty shortly," it said.

Sherri's Helpful Hints

Scented Crafts for the Home

Potpourri Rocks craft
These handmade rocks can be added to potpourri to increase the scent and longevity of the scent. They can also be used alone, placed in a pretty bowl or placed in a seashell to fragrance the bathroom! You can add herbs, lavender flowers or rose petals to add scent, texture and color.

1 cup salt
1 cup flour
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon essential oil or fragrance oil
Food coloring, if desired, or herbs, lavender flowers or rose petals
1 to 1 1/3 cups very hot water

In a bowl, mix ingredients into a stiff dough and then shape into balls, flat stones, squares or any other shape you desire. Let air dry until hard before using.

Gel Air Freshener craft
2 cups distilled water, divided
Essential oil/fragrance of your choice.
4 envelopes Knox gelatine
Food coloring (optional)

Heat 1 cup of water almost to a boil. Add the gelatine and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat and add remaining cup of distilled water, 10 to 20 drops of oil/fragrance and food coloring if desired.

You can replace food coloring and oil/fragrance with premade liquid potpourri (available at most craft stores, candle shops, etc.). Just make sure it's the concentrated kind or it won't retain its smell. The procedure would be the same. Heat 1 cup of the liquid potpourri, almost to a boil. Stir in 4 envelopes Knox gelatine until dissolved. Then stir in 1 cup cool liquid potpourri.

Pour the mixture into clean baby food jars or other containers and set at room temperature overnight until "set." You can also save store-bought containers which contained fragrance gel and use those.

NOTE: You can place the jars in the refrigerator if you need them to set more quickly, but be aware that the smell will permeate the fridge.

For gift giving, you can decorate the baby food jars by wrapping with material, or gluing on wallpaper, stickers, wrapping paper, etc.

To use, place the jar on the stovetop (not directly on the burner!) while cooking, heat in a potpourri burner, or simply set out on a table and enjoy the aroma.

Easy Potpourri Gel craft
1 cup concentrated liquid potpourri
2 envelopes Knox unflavored gelatine
Empty jar

Heat potpourri until almost to a boil. Remove from heat and add 2 envelopes of gelatine. Stir to dissolve gelatine and pour into clean decorative jar. Place piece of plastic wrap over jar and secure with rubber band. Either place in refrigerator for quick set or leave out overnight on counter. Cover with piece of starched "lace" and wrap with ribbon to decorate.

Before using, remove plastic wrap and recover jar with lace cover.

Dryer Sheet Sachet craft
2 used white dryer sheets
1 heaping tablespoon potpourri
1 length of ribbon
2 or 3 small pieces dried flowers
Tacky glue

Place one dryer sheet over top of the other dryer sheet so that the corners of the second sheets are centered at the sides of the first sheet. Place the potpourri in the center of the sheets. Gather up and tie with ribbon. Decorate with dried flowers.

Potpourri Hoop craft
Wooden embroidery hoop (3-inch for tree ornament or 4- to 5-inch for wall decoration)
Potpourri
Fine lace
Tulle or fine netting
Gathered lace trim
Glue or hot glue gun
Lace motif
Gold cord or narrow ribbon
Paint or stain

Paint or stain both hoop rings, if desired. Dry thoroughly.

Cut a piece of netting or tulle slightly larger than hoop and lay it over the smaller ring of hoop. Spread glue on central portion of netting; press potpourri evenly over this. If lace has large openings, place another piece of netting over the potpourri. If lace is fine, omit this step.

Lay a piece of lace over all. Press on outer ring of hoop, pulling all layers tight. Tighten screw on outer loop. Trim off excess netting and lace. Glue flat lace design or motif on front with clear-drying white glue. Glue lace trim around outer rim on back of hoop, using white or hot glue.

Use gold cord or narrow ribbon to hang the ornament from the hoop screw. Or, sew hanger to back and cover the screw with a bow.

Rose Jar craft
6 cups dried rose petals
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 1/2 tablespoons orrisroot (can be bought at a drugstore)

Spread petals in layers on a dry cloth or box. Place in a dry place for 3 to 4 days or until dry. Add other ingredients. Pack into a jar. Cover tightly. Let stand for 4 to 5 weeks. Stir every 3 or 4 days.

Can be used for sachets.

Courtesy of Recipe Goldmine

Christian Quote of the Day

One way to recall the mind easily in the time of prayer, and preserve it more in tranquility, is not to let it wander too far at other times. You should keep it strictly in the Presence of God; and , being accustomed to think of Him often, you will find it easy to keep your mind calm in the time of prayer, or at least to recall it from its wanderings.

...Brother Lawrence

RECIPE of the Day - 6/30/2007

This is a wonderfully delicious cake that makes you long for an island vacation. It has just the right touch of coconut flavor in the cake and the glaze. It is a really great cake that your family will enjoy.





Coconut Bundt Cake with Coconut Milk Glaze

3 cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
6 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
1 1/4 cups canned unsweetened coconut milk (divided use)
2 cups (packed) sweetened shredded coconut (about 7 ounces)
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
Additional sweetened shredded coconut (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter 12-cup Bundt pan; dust pan with flour.

Stir cake flour and salt in medium bowl to blend.

Beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually add 2 1/2 cups sugar, beating until well blended. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then both extracts.

Beat in flour mixture in four additions alternately with 1 cup coconut milk added in 3 additions. Fold in 2 cups shredded coconut. Transfer batter to prepared pan, smooth top.

Bake cake until top is golden brown and tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Cool cake in pan 5 minutes. Turn cake out onto rack, cool completely.

Whisk powdered sugar and remaining 1/4 cup coconut milk in medium bowl to blend. Spoon glaze over cake. Top with additional shredded coconut, if desired.

12 to 16 servings

FREEBIES of the Day - 6/30/07

Creme of Nature hair care sample from Vibe Vixen. These products feature certified organic ingredients like chamomile and aloe, sunflower and organic coconut oils. To get a sample of hair care that is organic and nourishing, click here!

Gold Bond Medicated Powder sample. This is a great product for itchy or irritated skin; it soothes your skin and makes it feel so much better. To get your free sample of medicated powder, click here!

Garnier Nutritioniste sample. You can get Ultra-Lift (an anti-wrinkle firming moisture cream with SPF 15) or Skin Renew (a daily regenerating serum). To get your free anti-aging samples to keep your skin looking radiant, click here!

Hexistat Germicidal Hand Wipes sample. You don't have to be in a particular industry to get this sample, you can simply order it for your personal use at home. These destroy the vast majority of bacteria, microbes and viruses without the use of alcohol, which can cause skin irritation and dryness. They have the protection and convenience that police, fire and EMS personnel need to ensure their health and safety, so you know they have to be good. To get your free germicidal wipes, click here!

Soy Joy bar free sample from Wal-Mart. These are 130-140 calories and have whole soy, protein, exotic dried fruit and a home-baked taste that satisfies. To get your free Soy Joy sample, click here!

Wendy's Hamburger for free in select cities. You can get a list of the cities and dates that you will need to be able to take advantage of this offer. The free burger times go from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. To find out where you can get a free Wendy's burger, click here!

Jamba Juice free smoothie. Print out a coupon for buy 1 get 1 free on their smoothies. These are all fruit (a lot of variety, too) and they are really refreshing and healthy. The offer is good through July 4th. To get your free smoothie from Jamba Juice, click here!

Stopain Spray sample. This is without a doubt the best pain spray my husband or I have ever tried. It works in 30 seconds and keeps the pain at bay for hours. I will keep this posted until the sample is no longer available; everyone who has pain needs to have the opportunity to try this. To get your free sample of Stopain, click here!

Payless Shoe Source coupon. This is good for $2.00 to $8.00 off, depending on how much you spend. Payless does have a nice selection of shoes at really good prices. To get your coupon, click here!

Glastonbury free movie download. Glastonbury Festival is the largest greenfield music festival in the world and you will travel through the changes of the last 3 decades with artists such as Pink Floyd, R.E.M., Beck, Foo Fighters, etc. To download the movie you do have to install movielink manager first. To get your free movie download, click here!

Spider Identification Chart. This gives you a full-color ready reference guide to common USA spiders with first aid spider bite procedures. They give you info on the brown recluse, black widow, hobo spider, wolf spider, white-tail spider, black house spider, huntsman and other spiders with notes to aid in identification. To get this valuable tool to keep your family safe, click here!

Target and Super Target printable coupons. They have a lot of useful coupons for your next trip to Target. To get your coupons, click here!

Linens-N-Things coupon. This is good for 20% off any 1 item and they do have lovely things there. This coupon is good through 7-01. To get your coupon for Linens-N-Things, click here!

Hollywood Video coupon. This is a rent 1 get 1 free coupon and is good through 6-30. To get 2 videos for the price of 1 rental, click here!

Milwaukee Zoo free admission for Vets and Military Personnel. This is on 7-1 and you not only get in free, but you also get free food and refreshments. You do have to have a wristband for this; so please contact either Joe at jfcampbell@machweld.com or Tim at TBARANZYK@wi.rr.com. To check out the Milwaukee Zoo info, click here!

AMC Theaters free movies. This is their Summer Movie Camp and it runs from 6-27 to 8-15. The free movies start at 10:00 a.m. every Wednesday and you even have a special price for a KidsPack refreshment which includes: one small drink, one small popcorn and a kid's size snack. To get more info on the free movies, click here!

Free concerts in Detroit. These free concerts are every Friday night at 8:00 p.m. starting 6-29 and ending 8-10. They have some great artists: Grand Funk Railroad, The Guess Who, Asia, 38 Special and more. To get a listing of the artists and dates, click here!

Birthday freebies. This has dozens of birthday freebie sites; everything from Baskin Robbins to Hollywood Video to Shoneys and much more. To get some cool birthday freebies for you and your whole family, click here!

Free prescription savings card from TogetherRx. Prescription drugs are so costly anymore, that we could all use a little extra help to keep the cost down. They have 4 requirements: legal resident of the US, not eligible for Medicare/Medicaid, income less than $30,000 for a single person and no other prescription drug coverage of any kind. To get this great deal, click here!

Software giveaway of the day - Features a different title every day. These are about $20.00 regular price, so what a deal!. For your free software, click here!

Game giveaway of the day - Features a different game every day. They have arcade, puzzle and action games. For your free game, click here!

Free 10 minute calling card from Callingcards.com. This is a global calling card - you can call anywhere - and there are no strings attached. They will e-mail you with the pin # and info and you're ready to start making calls. To get your free 10 minute calling card, click here!

Free phone number and voice mail from Private Phone. This is through Net Zero and is the greatest thing. You can have a phone number to give out for freebies, sweepstakes entries and to people that you don't want to have your actual phone number. They will get your voice mail (you record your own greeting) and you can check messages online or by calling the number. I have this and it is a real lifesaver. They send you e-mail or mobile phone notifications of messages that you get, so you know right away. To get this great deal, click here!

Free Online Language Courses from the BBC. This is a great opportunity to learn another language (or two or three...) and do it at your own pace. They give you correct pronunciation, helpful phrases, etc. I don't know of anyone who couldn't use this - I want to teach our daughter French, so this may be just the way to do it. To get your free online language courses, click here!

Tire Recall

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has ordered a recall of 450,000 light truck tires that could have an increased risk of tread separation. The company that imported Chinese tires at the center of a recall demand by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will recall the tires and replace them until the company, Foreign Tire Sales (FTS), has run out of funds.

U.S. safety officials say some Chinese-made tires are missing an important safety feature. The tires, made by China-based Hangzhou Zhongce Rubber Co., have an insufficient or missing gum strip, a rubber feature that helps prevent steel belts inside the tire from separating or from damaging the rubber.

"If you have gum strip missing, eventually the bond between the steel belts and rubber components will weaken and break," said John Rastetter, director of tire information for TireRack.com. Without the gum strip steel bands could also cut into the rubber tire, causing damage, Rastetter said.

In the case of the Hangzhou Zhongce tires, the vehicle would not have to be driven at high speeds or on a hot road surface in order for problems to occur, said Rastetter. Simply driving on the tires could eventually cause the tire to fail. Heat and underinflation could also aggravate the problems with these tires, he added.

The tires involved in the recall are intended for use on larger light trucks such as heavy-duty pick-ups, large vans and ambulances. They are sold in the United States under the brand names Westlake, Telluride, Compass and YKS.

A 2006 ambulance crash prompted FTS to hire an outside lab to test several sample tires, according to documents. Those tests revealed that tires were being manufactured without the gum strip or with a gum strip that was too narrow.

Other tests, performed in March, 2007, showed that the tire treads began coming apart at about 25,000 miles, according to documents.

FTS says it does not know how many tires, in total, were imported into the United States through other importers.

NHTSA is also contacting other companies that have imported these tires to alert them to the problem.

The tires involved in the recall are the following sizes:

LT235/75R-15
LT235/75R-16
LT235/85R-16
LT245/75R-16
LT265/75R-16
LT3X10.5-15

To view the online article, click here!

Sherri's Helpful Hints

Home Crafts

Bed Canopies craft
Muslin (cream or white)
4 large dowel rods
PVC elbows

Use PVC elbows to make a rectangle that is slightly larger than your bed. Paint or stain the dowel rods to match decor. Hang the rods from the ceiling at each corner and drape the muslin onto the rods. Alternatively, you can see loops at the top and put the fabric on before hanging the frame.

You can stencil or dye the muslin however you want. You can also make matching tiebacks for the "four posters" or use raffia and silk flowers for the tiebacks.

Ironing Board Bridesmaid craft
This is super for a wedding shower!

Ironing board
Full apron
Rubber gloves
2 tiny tart pans
Cork
Dust mop
2 wooden spoons
Quiche pan
2 small round soaps
Bath beads
Mesh laundry bag
Fake string of pearls
Assorted brushes and sponges with handles
Handi-tak
Wire
Pins
Ribbon

Lay ironing board, business side down, flat on a table. Using wire, attach dust mop to back of board, with mop (hair) at the narrow end of the board. Turn the board over and tie apron around it, ending with strings hanging in front. Attach wooden spoon (arms) to ironing board cover with wire. Poke wire through cover and twist around spoons.

Stuff gloves with tissue and place one over the end of each spoon. Use pins to fasten gloves to apron.

Attach quiche pan (face) by tightly wrapping wire from side to side around back of ironing board and under dust mop (hair). Use Handi-tak to secure tart pans (eyes) to face, for soap inside each (eye), to secure cork (nose) and bath bead (mouth).

Make bouquet of brushes and tie with ribbon. Secure bouquet with rubber bands. Attach bouquet to front of doll, using apron strings to hold.

Place laundry bag on mop as veil, and add fake pearls under head.

Super Easy Denim Quilt craft
Old denim jeans or new denim fabric
Old flannel shirts or new plaid flannels or polar fleece scraps

Cut old denim jeans or purchased denim fabric into 7-inch squares (or any size you want).

Cut flannel shirts (or whatever you are using) into 7-inch squares, cutting out the same number as denim squares you have.

Place one denim and one flannel square together with the wrong sides to the middle.

Sew two blocks together with the flannel pieces facing each other, using 1/4 or 1/2-inch seams. Raw seam is on the denim or right side.

When quilt is complete, snip denim seams a little bit and then run through the washer and dryer. Seams will fray like the bottom of cut jeans and the flannel color will show up in the seams to add color to the denim or right side.

Add a row of stitching around the outside of the entire quilt for stability after washing or bind the quilt in the traditional way with a contrasting print, striped denim or duck fabric.

You can make this quilt any size just by the number of blocks you use.

You can always add rows later if you find you want to make the quilt a little larger.

Mason Jar Oil Lamp craft
Pint canning jar and lid
Lamp oil
Candle wick
Pre-assembled wick and ball
Potpourri
Ribbon
Punch or screwdriver

Punch hole in center of lid. Bring wick up through hole. Secure wick with washer on underside of lid.

Fill jar with potpourri. Add lamp oil. Tie a ribbon bow around neck of jar. Cut the ribbon very short so it is not near the flame. DO NOT USE RAFFIA.

Courtesy of Recipe Goldmine

Christian Quote of the Day

"The hungry sheep look up, and are not fed."
The hungry sheep, that crave the living Bread.
Grow few, and lean, and feeble as can be,
When fed not Gospel, but philosophy;

Not Love's eternal story, no, not this,
But apt allusion, keen analysis.
Discourse well framed -- forgot as soon as heard --
Man's thin dilution of the living Word.

O Preacher, leave the rhetorician's arts;
Preach Christ, the Food of hungry human hearts;
Hold fast to science, history, or creed,
But preach the Answer to our human need,

That in this place, at least, it may be said
No hungry sheep looks up and is not fed.

...Robert Hammond Adams

RECIPE of the Day - 6/28/2007

This is such a great bread recipe. The herbs blend together well and the butter and parmesan...delicous!


Round Herb Loaf

1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 1/4 cups warm milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 cups flour
1/3 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon sesame seed
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika

Grease a 2-quart casserole. Dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand a few minutes. Add milk, oil, egg, sugar and salt, mixing well. Gradually add flour. Knead briefly on a lightly floured board. Let rise until doubled in bulk.

Punch down dough. Pinch off walnut-size balls of dough; dip in melted butter. Place in 1 layer in casserole.

Mix cheese, sesame seed, garlic salt and paprika. Sprinkle one-half of this mixture over the layer of dough. Proceed in the same manner with the remaining dough; pour remaining butter over dough; sprinkle with the remaining herb mixture. Let rise until almost doubled.

Bake at 400 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes in an ovenproof glass casserole with a rounded bottom.

Cool in casserole for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve warm.

FREEBIES of the Day - 6/28/07

Free Legal Advice Clinic in Mount Clemens, MI today, 6-28. Attorneys will answer legal questions from any Macomb County Michigan resident from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. on the 28th. They specialize in: Family and Employment Law, Landlord and Tenant issues, Worker's Comp., Personal Injury and many more areas. To get more info on how you can get free legal advice, click here!

Tide to Go Instant Stain Remover from Beauty Riot. This sounds like the full-size stain remover pen and these are so handy. To get your free Tide to Go, click here!

Taste Gano healthy coffee samples. They have coffee, tea and cocoa for sampling, and, they're healthy; plus, you get to choose 2 samples. They do need a valid e-mail and phone # (use your free voice mail phone #) to verify your request before they send it out. To get your free healthy samples of coffee, tea and/or cocoa, click here!

Nordic Naturals free samples. They have pure and great tasting Omega Fish Oil supplements for adults and children, plus, they also carry children's DHA and DHA strawberry (DHA and ARA are found in breast milk). To get your free samples for you and/or your children, click here!

Mary Kay Satin Hands Pampering Set. You can have luxuriously soft hands in 3 simple steps: Private Spa Collection's Extra Emollient Night Cream, Satin Hands Satin Smoothie Hand Scrub and Satin Hands Hand Cream. The Satin Smoothie Hand Scrub has a delicious peach scent. To get your free pampering set, click here!

Wendy's Hamburger for free in select cities. You can get a list of the cities and dates that you will need to be able to take advantage of this offer. The free burger times go from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. To find out where you can get a free Wendy's burger, click here!

Jamba Juice free smoothie. Print out a coupon for buy 1 get 1 free on their smoothies. These are all fruit (a lot of variety, too) and they are really refreshing and healthy. The offer is good through July 4th. To get your free smoothie from Jamba Juice, click here!

Sunsilk Hairapy samples. They send you a trifold packette of your choice plus 2 ($1.00 off) coupons with contest entry. If you use your disposable e-mail and your free voice mail phone #, you're good to go. To get your free hairapy samples and coupons, click here!

Stopain Spray sample. This is without a doubt the best pain spray my husband or I have ever tried. It works in 30 seconds and keeps the pain at bay for hours. I will keep this posted until the sample is no longer available; everyone who has pain needs to have the opportunity to try this. To get your free sample of Stopain, click here!

Milwaukee Zoo free admission for Vets and Military Personnel. This is on 7-1 and you not only get in free, but you also get free food and refreshments. You do have to have a wristband for this; so please contact either Joe at jfcampbell@machweld.com or Tim at TBARANZYK@wi.rr.com. To check out the Milwaukee Zoo info, click here!

Spider Identification Chart. This gives you a full-color ready reference guide to common USA spiders with first aid spider bite procedures. They give you info on the brown recluse, black widow, hobo spider, wolf spider, white-tail spider, black house spider, huntsman and other spiders with notes to aid in identification. To get this valuable tool to keep your family safe, click here!

Davidoff Cool Water Wave fragrance sample. They have 21,000 free samples to give out and they still have some left as of early morning. To get your free sample of Cool Water Wave, click here!

Winfield Collection Catalog. This is a great catalog if you like woodcrafting; making those cute Christmas cutouts for your yard, dollhouses for your little girl, etc. To get your free catalog and start creating beautiful works of art for your home and yard, click here!

Linens-N-Things coupon. This is good for 20% off any 1 item and they do have lovely things there. This coupon is good through 7-01. To get your coupon for Linens-N-Things, click here!

Hollywood Video coupon. This is a rent 1 get 1 free coupon and is good through 6-30. To get 2 videos for the price of 1 rental, click here!

AMC Theaters free movies. This is their Summer Movie Camp and it runs from 6-27 to 8-15. The free movies start at 10:00 a.m. every Wednesday and you even have a special price for a KidsPack refreshment which includes: one small drink, one small popcorn and a kid's size snack. To get more info on the free movies, click here!

Free concerts in Detroit. These free concerts are every Friday night at 8:00 p.m. starting 6-29 and ending 8-10. They have some great artists: Grand Funk Railroad, The Guess Who, Asia, 38 Special and more. To get a listing of the artists and dates, click here!

Birthday freebies. This has dozens of birthday freebie sites; everything from Baskin Robbins to Hollywood Video to Shoneys and much more. To get some cool birthday freebies for you and your whole family, click here!

Free prescription savings card from TogetherRx. Prescription drugs are so costly anymore, that we could all use a little extra help to keep the cost down. They have 4 requirements: legal resident of the US, not eligible for Medicare/Medicaid, income less than $30,000 for a single person and no other prescription drug coverage of any kind. To get this great deal, click here!

Software giveaway of the day - Features a different title every day. These are about $20.00 regular price, so what a deal!. For your free software, click here!

Game giveaway of the day - Features a different game every day. They have arcade, puzzle and action games. For your free game, click here!

Free 10 minute calling card from Callingcards.com. This is a global calling card - you can call anywhere - and there are no strings attached. They will e-mail you with the pin # and info and you're ready to start making calls. To get your free 10 minute calling card, click here!

Free phone number and voice mail from Private Phone. This is through Net Zero and is the greatest thing. You can have a phone number to give out for freebies, sweepstakes entries and to people that you don't want to have your actual phone number. They will get your voice mail (you record your own greeting) and you can check messages online or by calling the number. I have this and it is a real lifesaver. They send you e-mail or mobile phone notifications of messages that you get, so you know right away. To get this great deal, click here!

Free Online Language Courses from the BBC. This is a great opportunity to learn another language (or two or three...) and do it at your own pace. They give you correct pronunciation, helpful phrases, etc. I don't know of anyone who couldn't use this - I want to teach our daughter French, so this may be just the way to do it. To get your free online language courses, click here!

Sherri's Helpful Hints

More Beautiful Crafts

Paper Napkin Rose craft
Open the layer of the napkin out and fold the top edge down about two inches. Catch the fold between the index and middle finger approximately 1 inch from the end. Wrap the napkin around the index and middle finger so that the folded down portion stays on the inside.

Keep wrapping the napkin around the index and middle fingers until it is completely wrapped around the two fingers. Wrap securely but not too tightly.

After you have completely wrapped the napkin around the two fingers, index and middle, pinch the napkin together with your opposite hand. While the two fingers are still in the napkin, give the spot at which you have pinched the napkin a firm twist or two. You can remove the fingers from the wrapped napkin at this point. The cup shaped upper portion is the rose bud and the lower portion is the stem and leaf. Continue to twist the napkin downward from the point at which you pinched below the twist. Twist firmly and evenly to about half way down the lower portion of the napkin.

After you have twisted the stem about half way down, hold the twist securely with one hand and with the other hand, find the lower outside corner of the napkin. Work the corner loose and gently pull the corner up to the twisted portion to form a leaf. Pinch securely at the leaf and continue to twist the remainder of the napkin securely and firmly. When you reach the end of the napkin with the twisting, the rose is just about complete.

Your rose is ready for the finishing touches. Hold the rose securely at the base where the flower joins the twisted stem. Reach into the center of the flower and pinch the center with two fingers and give a twist in the direction of the turns. This will separate the layers slightly and give a pretty effect to the center of the flower. Gently position the leaf, and the rose is ready.

Teacup Candle craft
Single teacup sets (cup and saucer) can be found at flea markets and yard sales.

1 cup and saucer
1 votive candle
1 or more blocks paraffin (or candle stubs from old candles)
Knife
Double boiler

Put the votive candle in center bottom of cup. If the candle is taller than the rim of the cup, use the knife to trim away extra wax from the bottom of the candle.

Melt one block of paraffin in top of double boiler. Carefully pour melted wax into cup, allowing wax to surround but not cover candle. Melt more paraffin is more wax is needed. Straighten the wick if necessary. Let wax harden. Place cup on saucer.

To give as a gift, set the cup and saucer on plastic wrap or cellophane. Gather at the top of the cup, and tie with a raffia bow.

Victorian Teacup Topiary craft
1 small Styrofoam block or green florist clay
1 (3-inch) Styrofoam ball
1 small bunch silk babies breath sprigs
1 large bag dried or fake baby rosebuds in color of your choice
1 teacup
1 matching saucer, if desired
1 cinnamon stick
1 1/2 yards (1/16-inch wide) double faced satin ribbon (in a complimentary color to the teacup and the rosebuds)
A little Spanish moss
1 1/2 yards (1/2-inch wide) ecru lace
Glue gun and glue sticks

Make sure the cup is clean and dry. Cut Styrofoam or clay block to just larger than the rim of the cup so that it fits snugly in the bottom of the cup.

Poke the cinnamon stick about 1 1/2 inches into the center of the Styrofoam ball. Remove cinnamon stick and place a small amount of glue on the end of it and reinsert it to secure.

Put a small amount of glue on a rosebud and press into Styrofoam ball, beginning at top. Cover entire ball with rosebuds in this manner by going in a circular direction around ball to base. Place small sprigs of babies breath between rosebuds to fill in spaces, using a small amount of glue to secure each one.

Place the open end of the cinnamon stick into the center of the Styrofoam block or florist's clay in cup and secure with glue. Cover clay or block with Spanish moss to just above the rim of the cup. Use a little glue to secure the moss to the clay or block.

Use the ribbon to make looped bows and glue to the cup.

If you are using a saucer, you glue the cup to the saucer and place leftover rosebuds and babies breath sprigs around base of cup.

Waxed Flowers craft
Fresh flowers
Paraffin wax
Wax paper
Candle scent

Tie the stems of the flowers together with a rubber band and use a clothespin to hang them from a wire clothes hanger. Hang flowers upside down in a dark place (closet), until they are dried.

After the flowers are completely dry, melt paraffin wax in a slow cooker or double boiler. Add candle scent to the melted wax. Hold flowers gently just inside the pot of melted wax and use a ladle or large spoon to pour wax over the flowers. When they are completely covered with wax, remove them from the pot and let dry on a sheet of wax paper.

Display waxed flowers in a vase or add to a flower arrangement.

Decorated Glass Plates craft
Buy clear glass plates. Flip over and clean the back with Windex or good cleaner.

Use magazines, decoupage paper, wrapping paper etc. Cut to fit center or cut out shapes. Using decoupage glue or reverse decoupage glue, put on a smooth fine coat. Lay picture down and smooth out rubbing from inside to outer edges. Let dry.

Apply another coat of glue, making sure the edges have glue so the paint will not bleed through your pictures. You may want to add more than one coat. Let dry.

Either spray paint the back or hand paint. Use Wal-Mart brand spray paint if they have the color you need. Let dry between coats. Use a sweeping motion when spray painting to keep from running. It takes about 4 to 6 light coats to cover well.

These are NOT dishwasher safe, but can be washed off.

Courtesy of Recipe Goldmine

Christian Quote of the Day

Bad will be the day for every man when he becomes absolutely contented with the life he is leading, with the thoughts he is thinking, with the deeds he is doing; when there is not forever beating at the doors of his soul some great desire to do something larger, which he knows that he was meant and made to do because he is still, in spite of all, the child of God.

...Phillips Brooks

RECIPE of the Day - 6/26/2007

We love raspberry around our house and these muffins are really delicious. You can use just about any kind of preserves you like; blackberry and cherry are really delicious as well.




Almond Muffins with Raspberry Centers

2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
5 tablespoons raspberry preserves
42 whole blanched almonds, toasted
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease 14 muffin cups.

Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; mix well. Add milk, butter, egg, vanilla extract and almond extract; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Fill prepared tins 1/2 full. Spoon 1 teaspoon preserves into center of batter. Top with remaining batter, filling tins 3/4 full. Top each muffin with 3 whole almonds; lightly press into batter. Sprinkle evenly with 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake for 12 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes; remove from pans.

To toast almonds, spread on cookie sheet; bake at 375 degrees F for 5 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown, stirring occasionally.

Makes 14 muffins.

FREEBIES of the Day - 6/26/07

Fizzy Wizzies free sample. These are colorful, effervescent tablets that fizz up bath water and make bath time fun. The tablets are large and come in red, blue and yellow. The sample consists of 25 tablets, which is enough for 5-8 baths. To get this great freebie for bathtime, click here!

Bios Life sample. This product lowers high cholesterol levels naturally in 4 different ways: blocks re-absorption of cholesterol in the intestinal tract, blocks absorption of the cholesterol that comes directly from food, reduces the cholesterol produced by the liver and promotes the breakdown and removal of LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol). To get your free sample, click here!

Caress Exotic Infusions samples. They have cream oil body wash and bars and they have a very tropical and exotic fragrance. The body wash is perfect for a relaxing bath after a long day. To get your free sample, click here!

Wendy's Hamburger for free in select cities. You can get a list of the cities and dates that you will need to be able to take advantage of this offer. The free burger times go from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. To find out where you can get a free Wendy's burger, click here!

Jamba Juice free smoothie. Print out a coupon for buy 1 get 1 free on their smoothies. These are all fruit (a lot of variety, too) and they are really refreshing and healthy. The offer is good through July 4th. To get your free smoothie from Jamba Juice, click here!

Reynold's Parchment sample. This is the only way to bake; cookies don't stick, danish turns out perfectly browned and there are so many other uses. To get your free sample of parchment for your baking needs, click here!

Reynold's Slow Cooker Liner samples. These are the greatest thing if you use your slow cooker very much. Your meal cooks in the bag and when you've finished, just toss the bag and no clean-up (now that's easy). To get your free samples of slow cooker liners, click here!

Boss Skin Care samples for men. Join the Boss Skin club and be the first to hear about products, newest offers and receive the latest sample. They ask questions about your skin type, so you're sure to get samples that are just right for you. To sign up for this great offer, click here!

Perfection in Bloom free flower seeds. Simply fill out the form and they will send you a free packet of flower seeds. This is a great time to do planting, so if you would like to receive a free seed packet and plant some flowers, click here!

Stopain Spray sample. This is without a doubt the best pain spray my husband or I have ever tried. It works in 30 seconds and keeps the pain at bay for hours. I will keep this posted until the sample is no longer available; everyone who has pain needs to have the opportunity to try this. To get your free sample of Stopain, click here!

Free Legal Advice Clinic in Mount Clemens, MI on 6-28. Attorneys will answer legal questions from any Macomb County Michigan resident from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. on the 28th. They specialize in: Family and Employment Law, Landlord and Tenant issues, Worker's Comp., Personal Injury and many more areas. To get more info on how you can get free legal advice, click here!

Milwaukee Zoo free admission for Vets and Military Personnel. This is on 7-1 and you not only get in free, but you also get free food and refreshments. You do have to have a wristband for this; so please contact either Joe at jfcampbell@machweld.com or Tim at TBARANZYK@wi.rr.com. To check out the Milwaukee Zoo info, click here!

Internet Safety Kit from the Polly Klaas Foundation. This kit contains guidance for parents on ways to keep your children safer online and help to open communication about the internet with your children. You also get a free download of "Wired With Wisdom", an internet safety training program for parents from Web Wise Kids. To get this great kit to help keep your kids safer online, click here!

Linens-N-Things coupon. This is good for 20% off any 1 item and they do have lovely things there. This coupon is good through 7-01. To get your coupon for Linens-N-Things, click here!

Hollywood Video coupon. This is a rent 1 get 1 free coupon and is good through 6-30. To get 2 videos for the price of 1 rental, click here!

AMC Theaters free movies. This is their Summer Movie Camp and it runs from 6-27 to 8-15. The free movies start at 10:00 a.m. every Wednesday and you even have a special price for a KidsPack refreshment which includes: one small drink, one small popcorn and a kid's size snack. To get more info on the free movies, click here!

Free concerts in Detroit. These free concerts are every Friday night at 8:00 p.m. starting 6-29 and ending 8-10. They have some great artists: Grand Funk Railroad, The Guess Who, Asia, 38 Special and more. To get a listing of the artists and dates, click here!

Birthday freebies. This has dozens of birthday freebie sites; everything from Baskin Robbins to Hollywood Video to Shoneys and much more. To get some cool birthday freebies for you and your whole family, click here!

Free prescription savings card from TogetherRx. Prescription drugs are so costly anymore, that we could all use a little extra help to keep the cost down. They have 4 requirements: legal resident of the US, not eligible for Medicare/Medicaid, income less than $30,000 for a single person and no other prescription drug coverage of any kind. To get this great deal, click here!

Software giveaway of the day - Features a different title every day. These are about $20.00 regular price, so what a deal!. For your free software, click here!

Game giveaway of the day - Features a different game every day. They have arcade, puzzle and action games. For your free game, click here!

Free 10 minute calling card from Callingcards.com. This is a global calling card - you can call anywhere - and there are no strings attached. They will e-mail you with the pin # and info and you're ready to start making calls. To get your free 10 minute calling card, click here!

Free phone number and voice mail from Private Phone. This is through Net Zero and is the greatest thing. You can have a phone number to give out for freebies, sweepstakes entries and to people that you don't want to have your actual phone number. They will get your voice mail (you record your own greeting) and you can check messages online or by calling the number. I have this and it is a real lifesaver. They send you e-mail or mobile phone notifications of messages that you get, so you know right away. To get this great deal, click here!

Free Online Language Courses from the BBC. This is a great opportunity to learn another language (or two or three...) and do it at your own pace. They give you correct pronunciation, helpful phrases, etc. I don't know of anyone who couldn't use this - I want to teach our daughter French, so this may be just the way to do it. To get your free online language courses, click here!

Sherri's Helpful Hints

Beautiful Crafts to Make

Floral Ice Bowl craft
2 freezer-proof glass or aluminum bowls of the same shape, one about 2 inches smaller than the other
Water
Assorted edible flowers
Scotch tape

Pour 1 inch of water into the larger bowl. Place the bowl in the freezer, making sure it is standing perfectly flat. When the water has frozen remove the bowl from the freezer. Place the smaller bowl inside the larger one resting on the ice. Tape the bowls together using Scotch tape to make sure they don't shift. Pour water into the gap between the two bowls. Have it come halfway up the side.

Stick the edible flowers into the water all the way around the perimeter of the bowl. Use a pencil or skewer to push the flowers down if necessary. Place the bowls in the freezer again, until the water has frozen. Remove the bowls and add another layer of water so it reaches the top. Freeze again.

When the ice bowl is frozen solid, remove the bowls from the freezer. Remove the tape. Try to separate the bowls. If necessary, run under tepid water just until the bowls release. Place the ice bowl back into the freezer until needed.

Serve the bowl on a chilled glass plate or tray to catch drips.

You can try this concept with foil confetti, herbs or slices of citrus fruit.

Fragrant Silk Gift Sachets craft
Source: Craft By Linda Lee, owner, The Sewing Workshop

Silk organza
Metallic silk organza
Scissors
Iron
Chalk
Chalk marker
Cable-twisted rayon thread
Straight pins
Potpourri

Begin by tearing the silk organza into two square pieces. Tear the metallic silk organza into two smaller squares. Iron the edges of all pieces.

Stack the smaller squares onto the larger squares. Use a chalk marker and chalk to draw a vertical line down the center of the smaller silk organza square. Use the chalk marker to draw a horizontal line crossing the vertical one. Brush away chalk lines.

Tie a knot - which will become part of the design - in the end of rayon thread. Handstitch vertical and horizontal lines on metallic square. Leave edges unsewn.

Fill each of the four pockets that have been created with potpourri.

Tip: Pin the pockets shut after filling to hold them closed while sewing edges. Sew edges closed.

Heart-Shaped Box craft
Index or card stock (for small boxes)
Poster board (for larger boxes)
Wrapping paper or fabric
Scissors
White or tacky glue
Spray adhesive or hot glue gun for trim

Keep in mind that heart-shaped boxes take an extraordinary amount of patience!

Cut out one heart for the base of the box. Cut another heart 1/8-inch to 1/2-inch smaller than the base heart. This will be the lid.

Cut a band about two inches longer than the circumference of the smaller heart. Make the band as wide as you want the box to be tall. In other words, if the circumference of the smaller heart is 12 inches, and you want the box to be four inches tall, cut a 14 inch long x 4 inch wide band.

Cut another band 14 inches long x 1 inch wide. This will be attached to the lid as the cover for the box.

At this point, you can cover the base heart, bands and lid with fabric or paper. If you want to decorate the plain white heart box, then just go ahead with making the box.

Starting at the top center of the smaller heart, guide and shape the narrow band around the curve and down to the point. Make a sharp bend where the point will go, then shape the band around the other side of the heart. At the top center of the heart, make another sharp bend, and trim the excess 1/4 inch beyond this second bend. This creates the overlap to glue the band together. Glue the band together.

Starting at the top center of the smaller heart, but slightly inside the rim of the heart because the lid needs to fit over this wider band, guide and shape the wide band around the curve and down to the point. Make a sharp bend where the point will go, then shape the band around the other side of the heart. At the top center of the heart, make another sharp bend, and trim the excess 1/4 inch beyond this second bend. This, again, creates the overlap to glue the band together. Glue the band together.

Using a pin, lay a thin line of glue along the top edge of the narrow band, and attach it to the smaller heart (lid).

Using a pin, lay a thin line of glue along the top edge of the wider band, and attach it to the larger heart (base) by centering it over the base.

You can decorate the heart-shaped box with a satin ribbon bow, lace, flowers, paint, faux gems, etc.

Heirloom Picture Frame craft
Source: Better Homes and Gardens Online

Wooden picture frame
Sandpaper
Tack cloth
Liquid crackling medium
Acrylic paint in a dark color (for the base coat)
Acrylic paint in a light color (for the top coat
Paintbrushes
Antiquing medium (or diluted brown paint)
Lint-free rag (optional)

Sand the frame until all traces of any old finish are removed and the wood is smooth. Remove the sanding dust with a tack cloth.

Paint the frame using the dark acrylic paint. Apply one or two coats for complete coverage, and let the base coat dry.

Apply the crackling medium in long, smooth, even strokes. If you happen to miss a spot, immediately touch up only that spot. It's natural for streaks and uneven spots to develop as the medium dries.

Add the top coat of paint after the crackling medium has dried completely. Again, use long, even strokes. (Don't go back and paint over areas you've already covered or the paint won't develop cracks.) You'll see the cracks appear in the direction of your brushstrokes.

To further age the finish, you can apply antiquing medium (or diluted brown paint), if you like. Wait until the light top coat of paint is dry, then brush on the antiquing medium. Immediately remove the excess with a lint-free rag, and let the medium dry.

No Sew Appliquéd Tablecloth and Napkins craft
Cotton fabric to make size tablecloth cloth desired and 12- or 14-inch napkins
Applique fabric
Paper backed fusible webbing
2 packages fusible webbing tape
Beads or embellishments as desired
Scissors

Wash, dry (using no fabric softener) and press fabrics. Cut fabric to desired width and length of tablecloth. Cut out napkins.

Press under 1/4 inch along edges of napkins. Lay wrong side up. Lay tape, paper side up, along pressed edges of fabric. Lightly glide iron across paper for one or two seconds. Do not remove paper backing. Turn pressed edge over another 1/4 inch and press in place. Unfold pressed edge and remove paper backing. Refold and fuse with iron.

Fuse sheets of paper-backed webbing, paper side up, onto wrong side of applique fabric. Allow to cool. Cut out motifs and remove paper backing. Arrange appliques along edges of tablecloth, overlapping them slightly to create a continuous line. Be sure applique fabric is completely on top tablecloth fabric and not sticking over an edge. Fuse in place.

Trim edges slightly inside appliqued area, cutting through both applique and tablecloth fabric.

Add a single motif to napkin. Follow previous directions for fusing in place.

Add beads or other embellishments to motif.

Christian Quote of the Day

If you believe what you like in the gospel, and reject what you don't like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself.

...St. Augustine