Seven Ways to Make the Most of a Moment - Week 11

Life is made up of many moments.  

Getting the very most out of your life starts with how you use each one. 

Here are this week’s suggestions:

1. I am not a gardener, but I would advise that if someone suggests you plant trees right into your lawn without mulching around them, don't listen to them!  

• Mowing closely under trees is very difficult and the weeds and grasses that grow up around the trunk are unsightly, and difficult to remove!  I know - because I have spent hours on my hands and knees doing just that! Create a grass and weed-proof ring around trees when they are planted, and save yourself a lot of work!

One of our trees, after we dug up the sod and put down pine bark.

2. Hairspray removes ink stains from clothes. This is especially helpful to know when a pen has "exploded" or you washed one with in a load of clothes! 

• Spray the ink stain liberally with hairspray. (NOTE: This may not be safe for all fabrics.  Test an inconspicuous area first!) 
• Rub it in.  It will smear, so sometimes it helps to place a clean white rag beneath the area being worked on and rub against the rag. 
• Keep rubbing until stain is out. Launder as usual.

I keep a can of hairspray in my laundry room,
so I am always ready to treat ink stains.

3. If you vote by absentee ballot, fill out your ballot as soon as it arrives in the mail.  And send it back immediately.  

• Don't make the mistake of waiting till the last minute like we did.  This morning I have to drive 52 miles round trip to deliver our ballots in person so they would arrive on time!  At least I was able to pay my car registration there as well, it was a beautiful day for a drive, and the money I saved in postage was more than I spent in gas.

4. Get plenty of photos of kittens, puppies and other pets when they are little. (Same advice for human babies!) They change a lot as they get older, and it will be fun to look back at the photos and compare. It is so nice to have a record of what they looked like when they were small. 

• If you compare the following photos to the older photos of my pets on this blog, I think you will see what I mean.  See the difference? 

It is hard to believe these photos were both taken 11 years ago! Weren't they both so cute?

5. My book suggestion this week is "Letting Go: A Parents' Guide to Understanding the College Years by Karen Levin Coburn and Madge Lawrence Treeger. 

• This invaluable resource has many good tips for parents on how to navigate a child's senior year of high school and the college years. It is helpful when read any time during these years, but to benefit fully, read it for the first time during the summer before your child's senior year of high school. 

6. Have you heard of the movie, Rabbit-Proof Fence, produced in 2002? My sister watched it last week, and she recommended it.  

• It is based on a true story of three Aboriginal girls in Australia, taken from their homes to be given a more "civilized life" and trained as domestic servants.  From the reviews I have read, this action-drama is well-acted and filmed. It provides an interesting view of Australian history and raises ethical questions about the decisions that were made.  

I definitely want to see this movie soon!


7. I was a woman on a mission this week, trying to find a good recipe for a Snickers-flavored cake. I didn't find just one - - I found two: 

• The first recipe I discovered, Snickers Cake, from Michelle of Brown Eyed Baker, looked like something I had to have.  Right away. The only problem - the recipe is a bit involved and the directions said prep time would be 3 hours and 30 minutes. That was about 2 and a half more hours that I yesterday. I will be trying this recipe - but not this week.

• Then, I found it.  Snickers Chocolate Cake, posted by Aubrey of Real Housemoms .  Not too time consuming  to make, I had the ingredients, and it looked fantastic!  I made it yesterday, and it did not disappoint.  Wish I could give you a taste!  I guess you will just have to make it yourself.

Here is a photo of the cake I made yesterday. Aubrey's recipe was so easy to follow, our cakes even look the same, don't you think?
Thanks Aubrey!

I suggest a visit to both these websites - their content is very inspiring and will make you hungry!

Readers - I need your advice:

• I am trying to decide if I should continue this series "Seven Ways to Make the Most of a Moment" beyond Week 12? What do you think?

• Do you like how these tips have been grouped each week, or would it be better to offer them individually or in a different grouping?

Please tell me what you think!