Chemical Resistant & Plenty of Iron ~ Frankly Friday

I gave at the office yesterday. Twice. Two different offices in fact. Frankly, it is Friday. I am glad yesterday is a done deal.

About 2 years ago, I had an ingrown toenail cut out. Eww, oww, and ick. Yesterday I again revisited my foot guy because the chemically treated and removed section of the ingrown toenail had grown halfway back. Lucky me! I am chemically resistant to the stuff that was supposed to kill off that part of the toenail root! Why couldn't I be resistant to say, extra calories or wrinkles or arthritic bones?

The first giving at the office was the second step for folks like me upon whom the chemicals do not work. An extended version of the ingrown toenail removal process involving major numbing medicine (dare I say, "OW, that really hurts!"), a cut at the base of the toe, the cutting out of the offending section, a stitch, and a 48-hour bandage with no hint of water or soaking allowed were all parts of this giving. Ugly little chunk of toenail and gobs of blood were evidence to the crime. I mean procedure.

The second giving of the day was not planned. Amplify (our church) hosted at the Red Cross. That means that we worked registration and the canteen area. And for those of us who were able, we gave blood.

Now, see, I haven't given in 5 years. I kept getting rejected due to low iron levels. So I told them we could check, but I doubted I would pass. Well, la-dee-dah. I passed very well. I had plenty of iron. Drats. That was my next pint of donated blood. But this time I didn't have to give up any body parts, just some juice. Not to brag too much, but that makes 46 pints total.

Add a million errands, a fat toe and swollen foot, pain, and no time to cook, I was one glad girl to be done with Thursday. After a quick take-out stop for salads, dinner was done. No dishes!

If you find yourself resistant to chemicals or plush with iron, let me know. We can work our way around both.

Have a fabulous Friday.

YARD SALE 101: Ways to Avoid the "Y" Word

What's hiding in your shed?


It's true. I really don't like having yard sales.

I love going to them, especially if they are well organized, have things I collect or must have, and have cheap prices.

Unless I am on a binge of cleaning out the house. For me, this has been going on for years. I may never want to attend a yard sale again. Well, maybe one that has rubber stamps.

YARD SALE 101: Ways to Avoid the "Y" Word = Keep Clutter at Bay to Avoid Need for Yard Sale

The very best thing to do to get out of all of the hours and days and weeks of preparation for a yard sale? Make your house allergic to the gathering of junk that will require a yard sale.

Here are some ways I've found to keep my house safe from (required) yard sale efforts.

1. Buy. Only. What. You. Need. Nothing else. You will have more money in your wallet and less junk in your house. Practice saying, "NO. I do not need this." NOW.

2. Eschew other yard sales and clearance bins. Look the other way. Choose a different route. Ignore the sales ads and going out of business signs.

3. Avoid gathering clutter. Get rid of stuff. One thing in? One thing out. Get a gift? Give a gift.

4. Use your things until they fall apart, break completely, or wear out. Trash them and update with a new item. ONE new thing for each thing out. There is no need to store extras when your current model may last for years.

5. Recycle. Don't feel bad about getting rid of that (book, magazine, newspaper, glass, etc.) thing. Feel good about recycling and not dumping belongings in the landfill.

6. Donate. Donate a lot. Choose a charity or good cause as the recipient for your extras. Goodwill, women's shelter, YWCA, Salvation Army, homeless shelter, and many church clothing closets or homeless ministries need donations of clothes, baby items, toys, and household goods. A simple phone call or two will help you find the right place for you.

7. Adopt the character trait of generosity. Give away things of beauty or function. See a need? Give something you have. Does someone express a genuine love for an item you no longer have room for? GIVE it to them.

8. Re-gift. Seriously. Unless your name is sewn onto something or the gift is so specific to you that it's impossible to do, re-gift items that do not fit your home, body, style, or space. Do offer sincere thanks to the giver, even if the gift is one you cannot use.


These tips are helping me to ever so slowly de-clutter my house. Our dream is to condense and clear out enough stuff so that we can build a small home of about 800 square feet. That goal is helping me to detach from belongings in order to be free of storing, organizing, and cleaning extra stuff. We can't wait for a simple home and lifestyle and are working on it one thing at a time.

Join me for the next two days for YARD SALE 102: Yard Sale Tips IF You HAVE to Have One and YARD SALE 103: How We Made People Happy at Our Yard Sale.

Thanks for reading and for sharing!

Top Ten (Ways to Use My Books for Christmas)

Per suggestion I recently read: TA-DAH! Welcome to
Angie's Top Ten Ways to Use Her Books for Christmas.

10. Can you? Read I Can Do It. Look at the different things Meiying does to be on mission (live like Jesus and tell others about Him). Look at the Chinese writing on the sides of the illustrations. Take the book with you and go to a Chinese restaurant for dinner. Reach out in love to the servers. If you have Chinese servers, after the meal, choose one of the pages and ask your server to read it in Chinese for you. Try to repeat the words. Ask how to say Thank you and good-bye in Chinese. Repeat the words as you leave the restaurant. Mmmm. This makes me hungry!

9. Make sure that your child's teacher has a copy of Families on Mission, Ideas for Teaching Your Preschooler to Love, Share, and Care. If she does not have a personal copy, buy her one for Christmas. Before you wrap the book, help your child print his or her name on the inside cover. Choose one of the chapters and look at the activities. Help your child highlight an activity that he or she would like to do. Place a sticky note to mark the page. Wrap the book and let your child hand deliver it to the teacher. Offer to help prepare or do some of the suggestions in the book. You will be a favorite with the teacher!

8. Read I Can Pray. Purchase a large desk calendar at an office supply store. Let your child decorate the borders of the calendar. Think about people you know that need prayer. With your child, print one name on each day of the month. Make sure to list a person on the date of his/her birthday! Display the calendar near the dining room table. Choose a meal (breakfast, lunch, or dinner) and create the daily habit of praying for the listed person at your chosen meal. Model how to pray aloud and let your child echo your words or think up and say his/her own words. Your child can draw a heart or star or squiggle on each day you remember to pray. Continue for each month of the year (repeat names as often as you like). BTW - my birthday is November 20th, if you want to add it to the calendar! I could always use prayer. ;0

7. Does your child's classroom have any of these books (see list at the bottom or past posts to my blog)? Donate a complete set. Let your child do the giving. Volunteer to host a weekly read-aloud. Read a different book each week and provide a simple 'after reading activity' (see the back of each book, or any part of Families on Mission).

6. Does your school have an auction? Donate a set to be auctioned off as part of the fund raiser. Is your doctor or dentist a Christian? Suggest these books for the waiting room. Provide information on how to get them, or get them and give them to your provider. If you are in the northwest, get in touch with me, and maybe we can do something together centered around one or more of the books. ;0 Have a stash of the books on hand and include a copy for new parents or give a copy for a birthday gift when your child is invited to a party. The possibilities are endless!

5. I Can Give has many ideas for ways to give to others. Not all giving activities need to mean 'give money.' How about giving some time to a shut in? Sometimes visiting brings more cheer than any gift. If you have a friendly dog, perhaps your family would like to give some time to a local nursing home (always check with the facility before taking children or pets). Maybe you would like to collect toys and necessities for a women's and children's shelter. Many people write notes and send mail to our military personnel in December, but how about writing or making Valentines and sending them in January? Shoveling snow, helping with chores, surprising mommy or daddy with a special treat (dinner, bed made up hotel style with a chocolate and a love note, cleaned bedroom, I love you! banner), donating gently used or outgrown items to a thrift store...teach your child to look around her/him for ways to help others. Make it a game. Everybody wins!

4. Read I Can Be More Like Jesus. Look through a children's Bible and find examples of what Jesus was like. Point out how Jesus treated others (loving, forgiving, friendly, helpful) and think of one thing your family can focus on to be more like Jesus. Make it a goal to work hard on that idea during the Christmas season. Read the book again on January 1st and check to see if you were successful.

3. Picture walk I Can Give. As a family, think of an extended family member or neighbor or friend who would benefit from your special attention. Plan and implement a giving project to help or show love to that person. Some ideas could be: invite them to dinner, bake cookies and deliver them secretly (ring the doorbell and run), decorate their door for Christmas, wash their car, use old magazines to make a collage card of friends/family (write a mushy note inside), go for a neighborhood 'see the Christmas lights' walk and have hot cocoa afterwards, greet them with a smile and hug each time you see them...). I know they will love the attention.

2. Put the books in a paper sack. Let your child reach in and pull out a book. Read it with your child. Or let your child read it to you. Choose one of the extra activities at the end (or any part of the book) and do it together. Take pictures of you reading the book together and doing the activity. Put the books on a coffee table and tuck the pictures inside the book cover. Do this with all the books. Go back and reread the books and look at the photographs. Fun times! Don't be surprised if you have requests for repeats.

1. The top ten way to use my books - ;0 - buy them! Give them as gifts! Drop by and I'll autograph them. I'll even use my best writing so you can read it! (PS - I always draw a little cat's face on the books I autograph, just for fun.)

Thanks for letting me be silly and talk about my books (again). Merry Christmas!


*Books by Angie Quantrell:
I Can Pray
I Can Give
I Can Do It
I Can Be More Like Jesus
Families on Mission, Ideas for Teaching Your Preschooler to Love, Share, and Care

*Available at any of the sources listed at the bottom of this blog.