Girl Power!

I had planned to blog about McCain's VP choice, but a friend of mine has already done a fine job on the matter.

Go Sarah!

Young Love & Romantic Comedies

I have a lot of young friends and often find myself hearing about the good, the bad and the ugly of young love. I give it my best shot to listen and not be preachy, but try to mention a few ground rules and prerequisites (which is a blog entry all in itself!) and then we talk about other basic principles such as:

* Shopping won't mend a broken heart; it will leave you still heartbroken and now broke.
* Once a cheater, always a cheater.
* What you see is what you get - marriage isn't a magic wand!

Having a love for romantic comedies, I find myself using them as examples when I have these talks. Surprisingly, there are some good principles to be found in the boy-meets-girl flicks we're all so fond of:

* Only illusions have no faults. (Sabrina)
* "What if?" is hard to live with. (Sleepless in Seattle) This one has a biblical basis, "Open rebuke is better than secret love. Proverbs 27:5
* Sex is not the same as intimacy. (When Harry Met Sally)
* Getting your heart's desire may not look like you thought it would. (Under the Tuscan Sun; 13 Going on 30).
* The old ways still work. (Blast from the Past).

There are the films which affirm predestination, though they may refer to it as fate or simple destiny, etc. Some of my favorites are:

* Return to Me - When you watch this one, check out which characters are introduced as if the camera is descending from the sky. Hmmm
* Only You - This great little movie has the added bonus of a young Robert Downey, Jr.
* Honorable mentions: Just Like Heaven, The Lake House, Mr. Destiny.

Sometimes I have to point a girl in the direction of Runaway Bride or Sweet Home Alabama if they start talking about needing to change who they are to get or to keep a guy and if necessary, I quote lines from movies that deal with authenticity such as Hitch, Music & Lyrics and Spanglish.

While the bad boy may be intriguing, it's the nice guy you want - as shown in Notting Hill, The Princess Bride and The Wedding Singer just to name a few.

Don't settle for "Mr. Right Now" just because you want to be married or in a relationship. "Mr. Right" may pop up unexpectedly (You've Got Mail, French Kiss.)

Now, dear readers, what are some of the gems of wisdom you've gleaned from your favorite chick flicks?

Clippers Anonymous

I’m going to start a new self-help group, Clippers Anonymous. Signs of the addiction include a desk which is a cluttered mess. Inability to throw away a magazine until it has been scoured for coupons, recipes, helpful hints, etc. Piles of clippings that the addict swears will be filed “one of these days.”

My name is Alisa and I’m a clipper. Yes, sometimes this addiction nets a wonderful new appetizer or quick clean up tip, but most of the time it just clutters up my desk. Finally I’m seeking the help I need and have started the process of actually throwing clippings away, but not until I share a few of my worthwhile finds with you:

Keep onions fresh and recycle old pantyhose by putting the pungent bulbs into a leg of the hose and tying a knot between each. Simply snip when you need an onion. Keeps your pantry neater.

When boiling eggs, add salt to the water to make the shells come off easily.

To easily separate bacon slices, put the top of a slice between the tines of a fork and roll up around the fork.

Poke a hole in a coffee filter and slip a paintbrush through to keep drips off your hand while you touch up a wall. (Also great to put in bottom of a flower pot to keep dirt from seeping out when you water your plants.)

Poison ivy? Wash off with a good dish detergent in cold water (never hot which opens the pores letting more toxins in). If rash appears, apply thin layer of detergent and let dry.

Heartburn at night? Sleep on your left side. It puts your esophagus higher than your stomach reducing reflux.

Store wool clothing in plastic bags with a few perfume samples from magazines layered in. The samples mask the smell of the wool which draws the moths.

Need to zap a zit? Dab a bit of Milk of Magnesia on it at bedtime and it will be dried up by morning.

Finally, for the bakers out there:

Wrap cinnamon sticks in foil and bake at 350º for a little while to remove a burnt smell from the oven.

Warm brownies are easily and neatly cut using a plastic knife (thanks for this one, Olivia).

Hermie & Friends - Great Children's DVDs

I teach Children’s Sunday School and enjoy it a great deal. The problem is when things come up during the week that prevent my preparing a lesson, what do I do on Sunday with the kids? I don’t want to waste the opportunity. What about when I have to go out of town and a teaching sub isn’t available?

Max Lucado to the rescue!

I have never read a single book by Max Lucado, but I have great affection for him because of his Hermie & Friends DVD series. This delightful series features charming bugs in a wonderful garden setting who love God and teach others (and the viewers) practical lessons about living in community and loving God.

The series reminds me of the original Warner Brothers Looney Tunes cartoons which kids and adults loved for different reasons. The humor is layered – one for the kids and another level that will tickle the adults’ funny bone. This is especially true with the Buzby character – an Elvis lookalike spelling bee who sings, dances, learns and teaches us about rules and behaving.

There are other cute children’s DVD that have biblical messages, Veggie Tales, for instance, but their message is often too watered down for my satisfaction. Hermie & Friends have an overt biblical lesson which is taught with humor, music and fun.