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The Power of a Thank You Note

The following is a post by Imperfect Homemaker contributor, Nicole.

 

Once upon a time, people looked forward to the arrival of the mailman each day. Yes, sometimes bills or other discouraging things are found in that little metal box, but there was the possibility of getting a real, tangible, heartfelt letter from a friend. Remember those days?

Now, getting a pen-and-paper note is very rare. We check our email and social media several times a day, no longer waiting for that one moment when mail is delivered. Being able to communicate more often, and even immediately, with friends and family is a blessing of the internet age, but at the same time we miss out on something by not getting the meaning that goes into a handwritten note.

With the price of postage, I don't generally turn to handwritten notes very often, but there is one exception: Thank you notes. I think that a written thank you speaks volumes to the recipient, and shows that you really are truly thankful for the service they gave you! It doesn't take much to type out a quick thank you in an email, but to take the time to write one out, and then pay to mail it, shows a more genuine thanks.

Here are some things that I believe deserve a genuine Thank You note:

  • When you've received a gift
  • When you've been a dinner guest
  • When you've been an overnight guest in a home or guest house
  • When someone has done a favor

Some of these may be more informal at times, and a thank you note might not be necessary. But many times, they are! I like to look for opportunities where a note would be a blessing and show just how thankful I am.

Here are some fun ways to write thank yous:

  • After spending the night in someone's guest bedroom or a prophets chamber, leave a note on the bed where the hostess can clearly see it. Makes for a fun little surprise!
  • Have kids that were included? Let them write their own note on the card, or sign their own name. If they are too young for real writing, let them color in a blank space or dictate a short note. If nothing else, the hostess will get a little chuckle.
  • Include a picture that was taken during your experience with the host/hostess. Makes it a bit more personal.
  • Add a meaningful Bible verse.
  • Use a fun pen, or add a colorful embellishment.

 

Now I'd love to hear your thoughts…how often do you write a handwritten thank you note? When is a thank you appropriate? Have you ever given a gift, and never received a thank you for it? How did you feel about it?

 

Big Berkey Water Filter Review

Disclosure: I received a free product to review.  As always, all opinions are 100% my own.

Big Berkey Water Filter

When I first began experiencing some of my health issues (what has now been diagnosed as chronic fatigue syndrome, hypothyroidism, and leaky gut syndrome), I looked into every possible cause of what could be contributing to my problems.

Although we were doing pretty well with taking baby steps to healthier eating, I really stepped up my efforts and tried to go all-out, making sure our food was only from the best sources and was the most nutritionally dense as possible.

But I didn't improve.

My search continued, and I began to wonder if I was suffering from heavy metal toxicity.  Our house has old copper pipes, and many of my symptoms matched up with what I read about copper toxicity.

Whether that was the problem or not, I decided that I wanted to make sure our water was filtered.  Although we have well water and didn't have to worry about added chlorine and fluoride, I knew there could possibly be parasites lurking in our water, and any number of harmful bacteria.

I had a couple relatives who used a Berkey water filter, one of which who lives in Brazil, where the water is so dirty that their filter gets so caked with gunk that it has to be cleaned off before water will filter through it again.

I did some more research, and found out that not only does the Berkey filter out all the bad stuff, but it leaves behind important minerals which many other filters remove.

What it removes:

  • bacteria
  • cysts
  • viruses
  • parasites
  • herbicides
  • pesticides
  • foul tastes
  • chemical contaminants
  • reduces heavy metals up to 95%

Is it affordable?

  • The Big Berkey water filter can be purchased for around $258.
  • Each filter lasts up to 3000 gallons, and since the Big Berkey comes with 2 filters, it will last up to 6000 gallons, for a total price of less than a penny per gallon!
  • If you have fluoridated water, you can purchase additional filtering elements to remove the fluoride, which will bring the price per gallon up to about 7 cents a gallon.
  • Berkey filters actually exceed EPA log 7 ANSI / NSF protocols for filtration and thus are rated as water purifiers, not just filters.  A water purifier is typically quite expensive and don't last nearly as long as the Berkey filters before they have to be replaced.

 

Other benefits:

  •  Filter both treated and untreated water.  (You can filter your city water to remove contaminants or filter water from a stream or river to make it drinkable.)
  • No electricity required.  In case of emergency or power outage, having a Berkey filter on hand ensures a source of drinking water as long as you have access to a pond, river, or even a swimming pool.
  • Portable.  Take it along when you're traveling to ensure a clean source of water whether you're staying at a condo or camping in the wilderness.
  • Easy to test.  If you're unsure of whether your filters need to be replaced, simply fill the upper chamber with water and add a teaspoon of red food coloring per gallon of water.  If the water comes through the filter clear, your filters do not need to be replaced.

 Our personal experience

I was so curious to find out whether I could taste any difference between water filtered with the Berkey and our well water.  I decided the best way to know for sure would be to do a blind taste test.

First my husband prepared two cups of water for me while I wasn't looking.

Big Berkey Water Filter

Berkey Water Filter

Then I did the same for him.

Berkey water filter

Berkey water filter

 

Neither of us could tell any difference at all, which was actually fine with us since we have always loved the taste of our well water anyway.

 

Another day, I brought some city water home from my mom's house and we did the same thing.  We both easily guessed which one had been filtered with the Berkey.  It was as if you could taste the additives in the city water, and once they were removed, the water tasted better.

 

The Big Berkey filter was a very good choice for our family.  It holds 2.25 gallons, which is just about the perfect amount of water for our family for one day.  I usually refill it right before I go to bed and the water lasts us until the next night.

Big Berkey Water Filter

 

I like the fact that it doesn't take up very much room on the counter, and its stainless steel design looks attractive in my kitchen.

The kids and I are also happy with the fact that they are able to reach it easily and get their own drinks.

It's not often that I give a product five stars on a review, but the Big Berkey hands down gets 5 stars based on the combination of its performance and price.

5 stars

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Coming up tomorrow:  A review and giveaway of the Big Berkey Water Filter, sponsored by More than Alive.

 

50 Fun and Free Summer Activities for Kids

 

Great List of free summer activities for kids

Summer is here!  It's great for a few days…until you hear the inevitable “I'm booored!”

This free 20 page eBook will give you 50 ideas for things to keep your kids occupied this summer – and they're all free!

To get your eBook, simply enter your name and email address below.  The eBook will be delivered to your inbox – check your spam folder if you don't see it.

*By signing up to receive this eBook, you will also be signing up for the Kids Activities segment of my newsletter, where I will send very infrequent but always exciting stuff for your kids!*

 

[wp_eStore_free_download_squeeze_form id=12]

 

We All Scream for…

Yes, it's not a trick question.  The answer is ice cream.

 

Making Ice Cream without an Ice Cream Maker

 

Everybody loves ice cream.  I especially love homemade ice cream.  I got the book “Just Making Ice Cream” as part of the Ultimate Homemaking Ebook Bundle that was on sale last month.

Why I did not read this sooner I don't know.

This book is absolutely amazing.

I  never knew there were several ways to make ice cream even if you don't have an ice cream maker!

I don't know how anybody has the patience to figure out from scratch 50 different recipes for homemade ice cream, sherbet, and sorbet.  And all the recipes use healthy ingredients!  That means I can eat as much as I want, right?

With flavors like Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Dough, Salty Caramel Pecan, And Almond Joye, I just don't know where I'm going to start!

Besides recipes, the book is full of tips and advice on choosing the best ice cream maker, no-maker methods, and troubleshooting advice to make ice-cream making headache free.

It normally sells for $12, which I think is well worth it considering the quality of the book and how much time the author had to have put into figuring out these recipes.

It's part of the Bundle of the Week sale this week, though, where you can get 5 summer-themed books for $7.40.

Here's the whole lineup:

Disclosure: Affiliate links included

Bundle of the Week

Bundle of the Week

 

The Summer Survival Guide by Jessica Fisher
Summertime, though rich in possibilities, can be a challenge for parents, especially when there are bored children about! Jessica’s Summer Survival Guide is filled with inspiring ideas and practical suggestions for making the most of the summer as a family, including 37 customizable planning pages, calendars, and worksheets for kids,  100+ family-friendly book and movie suggestions, inspiration for home management during the summer months, 16 summertime learning themes with related crafts and activities, and more.

2013 Summer Survival Calendar by Susan Heid
Susan’s 2013 Summer Survival Calendar is a four-month calendar with over 120 activities to blast boredom and increase family time. It features at least one low-budget (and sometimes free) activity, craft project, or kid friendly recipe every day from May 1 to August 31, with clickable links so you can easily view project directions or supplies needed. It’s the perfect way to keep kids busy, happy, and engaged during those long, hot summer days!

Just Making Ice Cream by Marillyn Beard
Just Making Ice Cream is more than just a recipe book! In this ebook, Marillyn offers practical ice cream-making tips such as choosing an ice cream maker, how to make ice cream without an ice cream maker and the basic principles of delicious homemade ice cream. You’ll also find more than 30 ice cream & gelato recipes, 9 cultured milk recipes, 10 sherbet recipes and 10 sorbet recipes that will keep you busy taste-testing all summer long!

Simply Summer by Kate Tietje
Simply Summer is the perfect summer cookbook! You’ll find plenty of fresh, seasonal summer recipes — exactly what you need when you want to enjoy summer’s bounty — including grilled, marinated meats, fresh salads, fruit and even wonderful desserts! Many of Kate’s selections are allergen-free and GAPS-friendly to help families with allergies and dietary restrictions find recipes to enjoy as well.

Simply Scheduled: On the Go by Tammie Nelson
Feeding your family healthy food during the busy summer months can be a challenge, and Tammie’s Simply Scheduled: On the Go is your guidebook to creating easy, affordable menus away from home. With over 80 pages of charts, lists, menus and recipes, including printable recipe cards and pre-planned menus, this ebook will help you plan for camping trips, barbecues, picnics and road trips so that you can enjoy your summer without stressing about food choices or the grocery budget.

The Summer bundle is only available through 8am EST on Monday, 6/3. Get yours today:

Bundle of the Week

 

I try not to constantly advertise stuff to you, but I was just the tiniest bit excited about the ice cream book.  🙂  Just take my word for it.  It's amazing.

And stay tuned, because tomorrow I'm going to be posting 50 free summer activities for kids!

If you're not already subscribed to my free  email updates or following me on Facebook you might want to do that so you don't miss it!

 

 

 

 

Time, Money, Health: The Conclusion

Time, Money, Health: Finding the Balance

 

If you missed the other posts in this series, you can read part 1 here, part 2 here, part 3 here, part 4 here,  part 5 here and part 6 here.

I never got around to finishing this series because what I thought I was going to say in this final post was drastically changed!

I was going to lay out some baby steps to healthier eating and tell you some specific things our family was doing so that eating healthy was not so overwhelming.

But before I got a chance to compose the post, I started going to my new doctor (who I absolutely love!) and the diet she prescribed was a radical change!  Baby steps weren't going to cut it for me.

So much for trying to keep things from being overwhelming!

Basically I had to keep doing all the things I had been doing (local, organic food) but with the elimination of gluten and several other food intolerances we discovered that I had.

That's the extremely short version of it all, but my point is that while I was hoping to preach “baby steps” to you all, in reality I had to practice radical strictness for myself.

No matter what path I would have taken, I believe my conclusion to the whole matter of balancing time, money, and health would have been the same:

The balance isn't the same for everybody.

While I may be allotting a generous portion of our budget for food and spending more time preparing my food, you may be only changing up a few key ingredients in your kitchen.

A year or two ago, my mouth would have dropped open if you would have told me how much we'd be spending on food right now.  And back then, it wouldn't have been the right balance for us.  But my husband has been blessed with a raise and good food was a priority for us, so we put extra money toward it.

What we spend on food may not be what you're supposed to be spending (or can even afford to spend.)

Here's the mistake many of us make:  We think that just because we've found the balance that is right for us, everyone else's balance should look just like ours or they're not doing something right.

For those who have a lower income, the temptation comes to think that those who spend extra money on organic food are being too extravagant, too concerned about their health when “everybody's going to get cancer anyway”, and shouldn't be spending so much money, time, and effort on their eating preferences.

For those who can afford it, and choose to make their health a priority with how they spend their money, it can be tempting to be critical of others who don't eat all the same things you do.

Those on both sides of the spectrum need to ask themselves some questions.

Time, Money, Health: Finding the Balance

Am I spending my money as wisely as possible?  I may not have much, but am I being a good steward of my body with the money I do have?

Is there information regarding my health I know I should pay attention to, but I'm choosing to ignore it because I know it's going to require some financial adjustments?  (In other words, I use “I can't afford it” as an excuse when I probably could adjust things to make it happen if I chose to.)

Am I criticizing others for their choices instead of focusing on my personal responsibility to manage my own money and health wisely?

Am I trusting in my food choices to keep me healthy, or am I remembering that my health is a gift from God?  If I can't afford all the food I'd like to eat, am I still thankful for what I have and trusting God to keep me healthy? 1 Timothy 4:4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:

As I write posts on various topics regarding healthy eating, (such as my post from yesterday on Why I Drink Raw Milk) I hope you'll keep in mind that these topics are merely for your consideration; not because I'm telling you I think you have to do this or you are inferior to me if you don't.  I have come to my conclusions about certain foods gradually and after thorough research of my own.  I didn't just decide to start spending extra money because somebody put me on a guilt trip.  And I'm not here to put you on a guilt trip, either.  I'm here to encourage you and provide resources to help you come to your own decisions on what is right for you.

 

Tell me, where are you in your healthy journey?  Are you still struggling to find the right balance?  Or have you found the balance that is right for your family and just need to make sure you stay on track?