Links, Hints & Tips

This month is spinning into the next at full speed, but before it escapes completely I want to share a few of the great things I've seen or had forwarded to me over the last week.

If you're canning or stocking your pantry during summer sales, check out the awesome Food Preservation Spreadsheet available free over at Nourished and Nurtured! I snagged a copy and am very pleased to have a ready-made system to help me use things more judiciously over the winter so I don't end up out of some items and overloaded with others come next spring. (This pic is from NandN's page, and is what the sheet actually looks like.)

Is the summer weather creating bug problems at your house? Check out this home-made, non-toxic pest control option from The Healthy Home Economist. Also from THHE check out this cheap, easy fly repellent and a recipe to make your own baking powder. If I'd known it was that easy to do, I'd have started ages ago!

In a rare and heart-warming example of Democrat & Republican cooperation, senators from both sides of the isle are coming to together to protest an "Obama-backed United Nations effort that could bring international gun control into the United States and slap America's gun owners with severe restrictions." If your senator happens to be one of the proactive people involved in this, consider sending them a "good job!" note - I think they could use the encouragement about now...

In the mood for something sweet, but trying not to turn on your oven when it's ninety degrees outside? Check out the Year of Slow Cooking website for yummy (sometimes GF) crock-pot treats like Peanut Butter Cup Cake or super-easy Banana Bread.

Interested in making your own pasta, but can't figure out how to make shapes like shells? Check out this great video - it's inspired me to try!

Do you do marketing or participate in newsletter writing for work, a volunteer organization or a club? Getting Attention just ran a great article on how to make sure you're connecting with your readers/members and not accidentally making yourself look careless or out-of-touch.

Finally, for anyone who's ever written a letter of recommendation or waded through stacks of them in an interview process, here's a hysterical translation of what all those flowery phrases really mean to help you sort out the truth! (Scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page.)