Butterflies Are Free Entertainment!

by Lois Breneman - 2011 - Heart to Heart http://heartfilledhome.blogspot.com

I am so glad God gives us richly all things to enjoy!  Birds, flowers, and butterflies are such fascinating and beautiful creations that the Lord gave us as His free entertainment, if we just take the time to enjoy them.  This last year I've especially enjoyed the beauty all around me, with my camera in hand!  Capturing a butterfly in a photograph has taken my breath away many times, as minute features I had never seen before are now visible.  As I have zoomed in on the detailed features of flowers, birds and butterflies, I have been blessed during many sacred moments of worshiping my Creator.

If you want to attract butterflies to your yard and garden, here are a few suggestions.

Grow purple and white flowers.  Purple is the favorite color of butterflies, although they will certainly sip from flowers of other colors as well.  I found they also love white, red, yellow, and orange.  Marigolds seem to lure large yellow and gold butterflies.

Plant white clover instead of ordinary grass, even in a small section of your yard, for a fragrant lawn that butterflies will find irresistible.

Butterfly bushes and hollyhocks attract a variety of colorful butterflies.  Garlic chives produce white airy flowers in mid to late summer, which I found loaded with butterflies and bumblebees that didn't chase after me while photographing within inches of them. 

Butterflies love to sip from a stream or puddle, so if you don't have a stream nearby, fill a shallow white or purple bowl with fresh water, so they can stop by and sip.  I found and photographed as many as fifteen yellow tiger swallowtail butterflies huddled together in a shallow part of our backyard stream, and later read that this ritual is called "puddling."  They do this to sip minerals from the water and soil.  Isn't it amazing how God builds into butterflies exactly what they need to survive?

If you do just one thing to attract butterflies, plant a purple butterfly bush.  They are inexpensive, grow quite rapidly, are extremely hardy, and the butterflies love the elongated brilliant purple blossoms!  And so do I!

Christmas Photography Ideas

by Lois Breneman, Copyright 2006

Have fun trying some unique and creative Christmas poses on your own this year, rather than using a professional photographer. These special photos could be used to create your Christmas card, include with a card, frame to hang as a decoration each Christmas, give to grandparents, or include in a Christmas scrapbook for lots of warm memories. Here are a few creative ideas to consider trying.

Last year we received a priceless Christmas card photo from our nephew and his wife of their three young daughters. The youngest one in the center was crying her little heart out, with her eyes shut and one hand in her mouth, while one sister tried to console her and the other sister was ignoring the crying and smiling like a little princess. The caption read, "Wishing you a Christmas as peaceful as ours!" Later we learned how they dressed up all three daughters in their Christmas dresses three nights in a row, and this was the scene each night. At the end of the third photo shoot, their worn out mother said, "That's it! This is the picture we are sending!" We loved it!! It's been on our refrigerator all year and will be until we have a replacement!

Another nephew and his wife took a picture of their very young son on the floor among a string of colorful lights all lit up. So cute!

Wrap each child with a string of Christmas lights and tinsel on their heads for a fun picture!

Take a picture of your children dressed as Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus. If you have enough children to dress as the three wisemen, or shepherds, that would be a very special Christmas photo! We have pictures like this of our two older children, with a bread dough bread basket as the manger in front of them, holding a doll.

If you have only 2-3 children, dress them in outdoor Christmas or winter attire. Have one child pull one or two siblings on a sled with fake Christmas gifts on the back of the sled. Or use a wagon instead. Another idea would be to pull two or three little ones in a wagon, each holding a gift. If you have four children, have the oldest child pull the other three in a wagon.

Take pictures of your children in their pajamas, lying on their tummies, each with his head propped up on his hands in front of the fireplace.

How about a photo of your children decorating cookies or a birthday cake for Jesus!

If children are old enough try taking a picture of them in a pyramid, wearing their pajamas.

Dress the kids up in Christmas outfits or simply Christmas colors and have them pose in front of the Christmas display at your local mall.

Line up all the kids or the entire family, lying on the floor on their tummies, with face propped in their hands and looking up. Use a tripod and timer if you don't have a photographer. I found a picture like this among my "antique" photos of all the cousins from years ago, lying in the grass.

Take a picture of the children decorating the Christmas tree or adding the finishing touches to a snowman you helped them build (adding coal for the eyes, a carrot for the nose, a smile, branches for the arms, and a scarf and hat). 

Use a tripod and the timer on your camera to snap a family photo, unless you have another person to take pictures of everyone. Any of these ideas above would be great with all of the family included.

Even if you don't use these pictures as a Christmas card or to include with a card, they would be very special photos to frame and include with your Christmas decorations each year!

If you have other unique ways of taking family pictures at Christmas, please send them to me.  (Check contact information),

Unique Photography Ideas

by Lois Breneman, © 2005, Heart to Heart

I enjoy photography and it has been interesting to try unique photography ideas that I have either thought of or seen. Be sure to zoom in when you want a close-up. If you have a digital camera, you can zoom in even after the picture is
taken. Why not try a few of these ideas?

Baby's hand in Daddy's hand

Baby's feet in Daddy's hand

Baby sitting, wearing nothing but a cap, turning back, as you snap the picture

Baby sitting in a fall basket with pumpkins and colorful autumn flowers all around

Child hugging pumpkin or bending down to pick it up

Baby, posed to look like he's just fallen out of a basket

Baby boy wearing only a diaper and Daddy's necktie

Baby sleeping on tummy, with knees under tummy - large bow with streamers on his back

Baby in large clay pot - baby's head sticking out among lots of silk flowers - bow around pot

Newborn baby held up beside Mom's face - wearing birthday suit, held discreetly, of course

Hold baby up so the brilliant blue sky and/or a fluffy cloud are in the only background
 
Baby holding barbell up in air (Use covered empty tin cans on a dowel rod)

All the family's hands together in a circle

All the family's feet together in a circle (with and without shoes and socks)

All the family's heads together in a circle

Two members of the family taking a bite out of the same apple at the same time - 123 - Go!

Small child holding a flower - close-up of chubby little hands, face and flower

Small child sitting on the base of a large truck or tractor tire

Toddler trying to pull Daddy in his wagon

Tiny sleeping baby on Mom and Dad's large bed - photograph entire bed

Small child standing behind a small chair

Small child sitting on a small chair

Small child sitting - call him from the back and snap picture as he turns around

Child standing with Daddy's shoes on his own little feet

Little girl in Mommy's high heels

Child holding family dog or cat

Child posing with pet hamster sitting on her on shoulder

Child leaning over, hugging a big beach ball

Child holding baseball and bat, wearing a baseball cap

Child standing by a pillar - with hand resting on pillar

Toddler standing in birthday suit or diaper, painting picture on easel - snap from back or side

Future big brother/sister with head on mommy's tummy - talking to and loving unborn baby

One child teaching another the hand motions of, "Here's the church and here is the steeple. Let's go in and look at all the people."

Child with blocks

Child with Teddy bear or doll

Baby (at about 6 months) sitting in a large stock pot, wearing chef's hat with vegetables in front
 
Child with apples all around him. (Also all kinds of fruit and vegetables around him)

Child with teapot and cup, all dressed up for a tea - wearing a hat with dolls and Teddy bears

Great-grandma and little girl, all dressed up having a tea party with a big Teddy bear

Oldest family member holding tiny baby or youngest member of family

Little girl putting rollers in Mommy's hair from behind, while
Mom looks in hand mirror at self

Profile of a child wearing a hat

Daddy and child walking down a path - take picture from behind

Children holding hands, walking away from you - take picture from behind

Daddy and child fishing, then holding up fish caught

Child on bike - picture taken from behind wheel of another bicycle with that tire showing also

Person silhouetted against the moon

Person silhouetted against the sunrise or sunset

Person wearing yellow, standing by a blooming crab apple tree against the brilliant blue sky

Small child, bending over, picking or smelling flower

Small child blowing a dandelion seed pod

Child taking a bath with a frog - frog on side of tub and child reaching for it

Children in bib overalls and baseball caps - arms around each other - snap front and back

Family all standing together on a Japanese bridge

Family all standing on the stairs, behind a railing - with youngest peeking through railing

Lit string of lights on floor - baby on tummy or sitting in the midst of them, looking up at you

Young child, reaching for an ornament on the Christmas tree

Picture of your house - each family member sticking head outside of different windows, wearing bright
colors (red and green for a Christmas card)

Toddler walking toward ocean waves - snap from back

Toddler bending over, picking up sea shells

Child, balancing as he walks across a log

Children, acting out the Christmas story

Children in bright colors, facing to the side, one behind another, as if in walking formation, but with the leg of one person forming an X with the leg of another.

Children in bright colors, standing in autumn leaves with hands full of leaves. At the count of 3, they all jump as high as they can and throw the leaves up in the air at the same time.

Separate close-up shots of different parts of child's body - face, hands, feet, toes, ear, nose, eye, entire body - Frame each part separately and hang together - or use a large frame with smaller frames within.

Four or five generations of your family

First day of school each year

A Few Trick Shots:
*One person holding another person (or almost anything) in palm of his hand - Position main person closest to you on a lower lever than the person held in the hand. The tiny person or thing which will appear to be in the main person's hand must be back farther and in a higher position. The photographer will give prompting to the main person and to the one farther away, to move left, right, forward or backward, until it appears that the main person is holding the other in the palm of his hand.

* Falling off of Pikes Peak - pose on top of a cliff as though you are hanging on for dear life. From the view of the photographer, all he can see is the cliff and you against the sky, even though you are on solid ground on the other side of the cliff. Your face should show fear and terror as though you are falling.

*Another falling shot - Have a ladder up against a sundeck or other high location. Have a young child at the top of the ladder, with Daddy right behind. Shoot a picture of your child pretending to be falling from the sundeck with a terrified look on his face. He won't really be falling, of course, but from where you are standing, the ladder nor Daddy will be visible.

*Someone positioning his hands just right, so it appears that he is holding the full moon in his hands

I hope you will have lots of fun trying these photography ideas. They just might put a little more spark in your scrapbooking hobby and framed family pictures!

Tips and Tidbits

If Out of Confectioner's Sugar ~ Here's how to save a trip to the store of you run out.  Put granulated sugar in your blender.  Blend at top speed and you will have powdered sugar!

How to Test the Freshness of Baking Soda and Baking Powder ~
       To test baking soda, put 1/4 tsp. of baking soda into 2 tsp. white vinegar.  If it fizzes, it is fresh! 
       To test baking powder, put 1 tsp. of baking powder into 1/3 cup of boiling water.  It it fizzes, it's fresh.  If not, toss it!

Clean Corn Silks Away by using a thick rubber band!  Twist the rubberband, hook over forefinger and thumb, spread your fingers apart and wipe away the silks with a downward motion, while griping the husked ear of corn with the other hand.  This was shown by a guest on Rachael Ray's cooking show. ~ Thanks to Elinor Wright in Virginia for sharing this tip!

Steamer to the Rescue ~ My electric can opener was sluggish, in that the knob used to insert the can under the blade was difficult to move.  I used my hand-held steamer on the can opener and presto!  All the goo or gunk that was inside, keeping the knob from turning easily, came oozing out and it works like a charm again!

How to Find Water Leaks in Your Home ~ Our water bills were higher than normal, so my husband and I set out to find the problem.  After he thought he heard water running somewhere in the house, he used the "stick to the ear" trick, by touching a stick to a water pipe in the house and putting it to his ear, like a stethoscope.  Next my husband made sure all the water faucets and toilets were turned off, one by one, while I held the stick touching the water pipe to my ear, until we found the one that was leaking.  It was one of the toilets and after he replaced the float and valve assembly, the problem was solved, saving future high water bills. So if your water bills increase unexpectedly, try this.

Basket of Country Style Balls as a Decoration ~ Cut 3/8 to 1/2 inch wide fabric of country plaids and stripes into long strips.  Using several sizes of wooden or Styrofoam balls, wrap a strip of fabric around a ball, securing with white glue as you go until it is completely covered.  Use a variation of fabrics.  Put them into a rustic looking basket to set on a coffee table or end table. ~ Thanks to my daughter-in-law, Emily Breneman in Virginia for teaching me how to do this fun project!

How Tall Will Your Child Grow to Be?  http://www.babycenter.com/child-height-predictor?scid=preschooler_20091215:4&pe=2UfZZbo

More Information on Broken Crayons ~ In the last newsletter you mentioned broken crayons..we take ours and use muffin tins to put the pieces in..bake at 300 F. until melted and then allow to harden..these are great for little hands that love chunky crayons! ~ Lynne Wight in Maine

         Wanted to tell you we used a muffin tin and those foil muffin liners to "bake" broken crayons. Katherine and Luke loved them! They were great for regular coloring, but what we loved the most was using them to make rubbings. I taught children's Sunday school then and brought home a big container of broken crayons and made a slew of these for my class.  Big hit! ~ Barb Campbell in Mississippi 

For Immediate Hire: Activities Director, housekeeper, day care center teacher, cook, computer operator, laundry machine operator, janitor, facilities manager, van driver, CEO, psychologist, computer operator, facilities manager. Please note that all titles have to be fulfilled by one person, and your compensation is being appreciated by your husband, and, once in a while, a "thank you" from your children. ~ Author unknown ~ Thanks to Diane Fenlason, a busy mom of four in Montana for this contribution!  I'm sure all of you Mamas out there can relate to this one!  Don't ever forget what a valuable "employee" you are, ladies!  Your wages will come later and have eternal dividends!

Photo Technology ~ Jalisa Wenger in Pennsylvania shares this information:
      If you have film negatives, did you know that CVS puts them on CD for a decent price? Then you can easily order reprints or view the pictures on a computer? Walmart does it too but their quality was awful. Lee’s Camera will do it as well but their price is awful (if you have a lot to do)!! CVS did it for my sister-in -law for $3.40 and the pictures looked good when I viewed them on our computer.
      I enjoy mail time this time of year!  Getting photos from family and friends is a highlight!  Some photos and letters come by email and are welcome as well.  I decided to try developing a photo that came by email and although the quality wasn't top notch, it worked amazingly well.  I just saved the attachment, then inserted a memory stick (or camera card) into the correct slot.  Then go into "My Documents" where it was saved and right click on the picture and go to "Send to" and click the appropriate destination for it.  Then you can take the memory stick and develop it wherever you develop digital photos! (You could also burn the picture to a CD to take it to be developed.)

Spelling Is Important! ~ Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. If you can raed tihs, psot it to yuor wlal. Olny 55% of plepoe can. ~ Thanks to Lori Staley in Ohio and Nancy Marlow in Pennsylvania for this one!