Linda's Lunacy

Faith, Home, & Family

Rescuing Electronic Devices

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My kids seem to have a knack of getting their electronic devices wet, whether it be their cell phones or MP3 players. I have lost track of the number of times that they have put their MP3’s through the washing machine.

The first thing to do when you discover that your electronics have gotten wet, is make sure YOU DON’T TURN IT ON !!

Turning on a wet MP3 or cell phone will completely fry it, and give you no chance to rescue it.

After you make sure no one turns it one, put the MP3 or cell phone down in a bowl of rice. Yes, rice. Make sure the device is completely surround by at least an inch of rice. Brown or white rice, it doesn’t matter. I haven’t tried instant, but imagine it would work, also.

Leave the device in the rice for several days. A minimum of 3 days. The take it out of the rice and try turning it on.

We have been able to rescue several MP3 using this technique. Some MP3’s a couple of times.

For more Works For Me Wednesday ideas, visit We Are That Family.

For more frugal ideas, visit Frugal Friday at Life as Mom.

Blooming Flowers

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I have a few things blooming this week. The Echinacea flowers are opening. I love the way these flowers open up. So interesting to watch their progress.

The Feverfew flowers look like dainty little daisies.

The Geranium that’s in a hanging pot on the back porch is blooming. So pretty!

The Hosta flowers in front of the house are opening.

Four roses on one bush.

This rose isn’t one on the bush in the above picture, but from the other rose bush in the Bible Garden.

To see more blooming flowers, visit Blooming Tuesday

To see more gardens, visit Tuesday Garden Party

For more flowers, visit Fertilizer Friday – Flaunt Your Flowers

Strawberry Yogurt Smoothies

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The other day, I had a container of strawberries that the fridge decided to freeze, so I decided to make smoothies for the kids with them. I also have a lot of yogurt in the fridge, so I used that. Here’s what I ended up throwing in the blender:

8 oz. strawberry yogurt
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
10-12 strawberries
ice

Place yogurt, water, sugar and strawberries in blender and fill the rest of the way with ice. Blend until desired consistency.

I got 4 smoothies out of this recipe.

I think next time I will use less sugar and see of the kids notice. The kids all loved these, even my husband like it, and he doesn’t like yogurt. I couldn’t even really taste the yogurt in it.

They came out nice and thick. We had to use a spoon at first before it started melting. It was almost like eating sherbet. I wish I had remembered to take a picture. Next time. 🙂

I’m glad I tried this, as the kids like to have a cold treat when it’s hot outside. The like to have milk shakes but I don’t like them to have milk shakes every day.

I’m looking forward to trying different flavor combinations.

For more homemaking ideas, visit 11th Heaven’s Homemaking Haven’s Homemaker Monday.

What’s For Dinner?

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Last week was a menu disaster! I couldn’t find the hamburger in the bottom of the chest freezer for the cabbage casserole, in the search, a bag of chicken wings got left out, my husband worked late one night, so the kids and I had breakfast for supper one night. And it rained Friday night, so no Friday Night Fire.

I haven’t had such a bad menu week, since I started writing down menus.

Good thing I get to start over again this week! lol We have Vacation Bible School this week, though, and we eat supper there every night. But, my family is always hungry when we get home anyway. So super simple meals on tap for this week, that will carry over from night to night as needed.

Now for this weeks menu:

Saturday – beef – Stir fry

Sunday – sandwich day – Chicken Salad and egg salad sandwiches

Monday – chicken – Chicken Soup

Tuesday – beef – Salad with egg and cheese

Wednesday – super simple – Chicken Soup

Thursday – chicken – Salad with egg and cheese

Friday – Friday Night Fire – Sandwiches

I’ll have the soup made ahead of time, and hard boiled eggs cooked, as well as as the salad stuff chopped, so we can pull everything out as needed.

Should be an easy week!

For more Menu Plan Monday ideas, visit I’m an Organizing Junkie.

Saturday On The Farm

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Saturday on the Farm

It’s the Saturday on the Farm – Get Real Edition!

Let’s see…..I could list the reasons why I haven’t been out working in the gardens, suffice it to say, the gardens are very neglected.

These pictures are in our main vegetable garden. Some of the cabbages are doing well. The heads are just starting to form.

And then some of the cabbages look like this. Pretty sad, huh? The cabbage worms have had a feast. I’m going to get some self rising flour to sprinkle on the cabbages. That works to kill cabbage worms. I’ll try that first, then get some BT San Diego is I absolutely have to. A couple of years ago, they got so bad we had to. 
On one end of the garden we have the spinach and lettuces. If you can actually find them through the weeds. I had to part the weeds to take a picture. 

See the spinach hiding in this picture? We have been eating lettuce and spinach a few times a week. They’re producing enough for salads. We’ve had a lot of rain in the past week, and the weeds are just growing like crazy.

Not all areas of the garden are covered in weeds,though.

Here’s a little bell pepper. Isn’t it cute? I saw quite a few blossoms on the plants, looks like we’ll have plenty of peppers. I love to have enough to freeze to use over the winter.

We’re trying a new kind of green bean that the neighbor gave us. They certainly are growing well. The are very bushy, and are just starting to grow up the fence. I don’t see any blossoms yet, though.

On the other side of the green beans, there are some squash plants in the cardboard. Yeah, there are a few weeds coming up in the cracks. I need to get out there and patch them.

The worst part of the garden, as far as weeds, is where the lettuce and spinach are. I must get out there and weed! The last couple of days have been so hot and humid it’s unbearable to be out more than a few minutes. I went out this morning to take a picture, and the lens on my camera fogged up it was so humid!

I put the flower pictures in another post.


Ok, it’s time for the Saturday on the Farm Carnival!

To participate, just write a post about your homestead, farm, farmette, or the tomato plant on your deck. Your cows, goats, chicken, or your favorite kitty cat.

In your post, include a link back to me. Then enter your link below.
It’s that easy! Hope to see your link below!

Flaunt Your Flowers

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On my walk around the yard, I found one lone daisy in a garden that I haven’t even touched this year. We had a farm sign, until it fell over this winter. My husband has to dig new holes for the cement before he puts it back up. So I didn’t do anything in the garden there yet this year. I was surprised to find this little guy. Although I shouldn’t have been, as I transplanted daisies there last year.

The Echinicea are starting to open.

They are so different in how their flowers open. They don’t unfold like roses, the petals just grow out of the flower.

The Feverfew is blooming. I just love these little flowers. I think they are pretty to grow in a flower garden, not just in an herb garden.

This poor little geranium is looking a little bare. I trimmed it back before putting it outside for the summer.

It does have several bud clusters on it, though.

And the hostas in front of the house are sending forth their flower spikes. I probably should have seperated them this spring, as they are getting so big.


They have a very interesting looking bud.

Aw, now for the roses! I posted a picture earlier of the bottom rose in full bloom. 

What I’m finding so fascinating, is that the two roses on this bush are different! I’ve had this rose bush for 9 or 10 years, and this has never happened before! The are shaped different, and the color is different.
There’s a third flower at the top of this stalk. I can hardly wait for it to open, and see what it looks like!
You can see more pictures from our gardens at Saturday on the Farm.

For more flowers, visit Flaunt Your Flowers at Tootsie Time.

I’m also linking to Weekend Warriors at It’s a Blog Party, so visit there for more gardens.

WOWBouquet offers fast and reliable flower delivery for any celebration.