Connection
HaPpY BiRtHdAy! Discover Whose Birthdays We Celebrated this Month.
Mission: To connect the hearts of People & Businesses.
Cinco De Mayo
Special News Tinker Bell is somewhere in the magazine. Find her and you win a prize!
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10 Crop, Blur, or Frame?
Whose Birthday is this month?
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Cheryl Flothe's Melinda Nagy Photography, Jenny Plocinski Photography, Cheryl Flothe & Suzanne Ervin, Cover boy - Austin Ervin
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New Releases from fellow Klemmer Grads Online Companies of Family, Friends, & Famous People
Favorite!
Who? What? When? & Where?
10 Save MONEY with these tips!
To contribute to our Heartbeat Connection Magazine contact: Nicole Flothe email - nicoleflothe@gmail.com
10 Romance, Special Moments, Memories!
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National Teacher Day Nurses Day
Older Americans Month
Cinco de Mayo
Victoria Day
Armed Forces Day National Photo Month Mother's Day
Memorial Day
http://www.holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/may.htm
Online Always adding.
Online we offer companies the opportunity to complete our questionnaire at www.Heartbeatconnection.com and provide their explanation of how they are touching the hearts of the world. Several new exclusive company reviews have been posted to our Blog.
HEART Photography
Heartbeatconnection.com's Featured Photographer, Melinda Nagy Otero, has a series of Heart pictures on her blog. You can view the photos on the website. Each photo has a description of what the Heart moment was all about. HEARTS 365 This picture is of a wine bottle pouring out a heart. View the photo online.
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VisitMelinda Nagy Otero's Photoblog www.melindanagy.blogspot.com
RESOURCES
MOST WANTED: Websites, Online Magazines, Love Quotes, Events, and Books with a Heartbeat. Heartbeatconnection.com Managing Editor NICOLE FLOTHE Photographer MELINDA NAGY OTERO Photographer JENNY PLOCINSKI Art Director SUZANNE ERVIN Editor CHERYL FLOTHE CONNECT WWW.TWITTER.COM/TRACKTHETIME FACEBOOK HEARTBEAT CONNECTION http://on.fb.me/HeartbeatConnection
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letter from the editor
I
t's hard to believe f i v e months h a v e already passed! Since our Magazine started in February, the month of love, we have been enjoying every month to its fullest. May is my Anniversary month and we get to celebrate our Love and commitment to each other. Prince William & Kate are now married and living the Royal life. I like to think we all have a chance of living a Royal life with our choices that we make and the moments we cherish. Someday I'd like to eat at the Royal Castle at Walt Disney World. I'll add that to my bucket list.
Suzanne Ervin
This month we have a new resource, Alena Kirby has offered her tips and talents on Design. I've been enjoying some great books and have a few friends that are publishing their books for
This month is also Mother's Day and a time to reflect on how many wonderful gifts each mother has given to this world! I'd also like to honor our Teachers, Nurses, & Military this month. They are a true blessing.
inspiration, celebrations, and adventure!
www.semyart.com Suzanne Ervins website has been updated with a white layout for her art.
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And to make Mother's Day a little easier you can take a look at our Slow Cook recipe to enjoy a family dinner.
With love, Nicole Flothe Managing Editor
we love
HEARTBEAT CONNECTION STORIES Klemmer Leadership has given these authors the drive to complete some amazing books. Straight from the heart!
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pple Pie with Lucy: A Story of One Woman’s Search for Significance.
Sophie should be happy and taking the world by storm. After all, she is living the ‘white picket fence with a loving husband, three kids and a dog; American Dream. But yet she finds herself drastically unhappy and in constant confusion about what she wants to ‘do’ with her life. This book is the story of how Sophie finds herself on a journey, or a quest if you will, with her wise and grounded grandmother, Lucy, who teaches her 7 principles that supports her in finding her place in the world and her inspiring hope for living a life of significance.
Buy your autographed copy now & it will ship on or before May 31st, 2011.
www.melissahaupt.com
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Learn about the 7 Principles to find your place in the world and live a life of significance Principle of Principle of Principle of Principle of Principle of Principle of Principle of
Self-Discovery Self-Acceptance New Stories Significance Purpose Dreams Now
“We all learn our most significant lessons from stories. I hope you will let Melissa share this message with you through a story of a young woman and the wisdom she gains from her grandmother. Have a great read and a great life.” Jim Stovall Emmy Award winner and Bestselling author of The Ultimate Gift www.JimStovall.com
Scaredy Cat By David Smith
It’s another fine afternoon in Yakima, Washington, complete with dimming, cloudless skies. Most of the time in the morning and in the evening I will stand by at my window and drink a strong cup or coffee as I look out at the beautiful valley that I live in. I can see snow on the hills in the distance and orchards and birds and so many wonderful things. I never tire at looking at nature and taking it all in like a big deep breath. Many times my cat Bling is with me. She is a window connoisseur as well! If there is such a thing as reincarnation I must have been a cat! My cat is an indoor and outdoor cat. We love letting her out to be her wild and ferocious self. She loves to hunt and torture poor little mice and birds and she’s very good at it! On this particular day, Bling looks up at me with her big begging eyes and meows at me as she stands at the door. I know what she wants and it is to go outside. I open the door but she just stands there sniffing the air like she just smells a campfire in the distance or some really good barbeque! I say to her “go on girl, go outside now” in my sweet kitty speaking voice. But she just stands there. She seems very hesitant and yet I know she wants to go out. Why is she just standing there? What is the problem? I start to get impatient because it is a little chilly and I’m tired of standing there trying to encourage her it’s okay to go outside already.
She continues to stand there and I give her one last chance to make a run for it. But she decides to stay in. I close the door. I know my cat and this is a scenario that we have practiced repeatedly. This is not my first time with my indecisive cat! It’s so weird because I know her so well and I know how much she wants to be outside. But now it’s too late and she waited too long. Instead of going outside she delays and stares. I can tell that she wants to go outside, but is paralyzed. By what? I wish I knew, but I’d like to think it’s because she’s afraid of the unknown. Maybe there is something out there she’s afraid of? There could be a dog, rain, or domineering male cats. Either way she’s being a scaredy cat! So she waits too long, the door is closed and now it’s dark outside. It’s too late! “How often does this happen to me?” I thought. God opens a door, that opportunity I’ve been waiting for, and then by the time I decide to go through it, it’s too late. Bam!!! The door has been closed; Job opportunities, investments, relationships, and career changes, all passed by. Why? Well, in the past, the fear of change, the fear of rejection, the fear of the unknown, and the fear of moving beyond my comfort zone have become road-blocks to potential successes in my life. Hmmm, I’m sensing a trend! Fear, many times, becomes a paralyzing force in my life, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Deuteronomy 31:6 tells us to “be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave nor forsake you.” Stepping into courage is the antidote to living in fear. I am learning that life is more of an adventure when I take the step and go through the door! For instance I have been wanting to write a book in which I could share some of the revelations I have had from watching my cat. I have never been an author, but I have a desire in my heart to be, and feel that God put that desire in my heart. Who am I to argue with God!? So many times I thought that I couldn’t do something like this because I never had the experience or the platform to do so, but the Bible says “with God all things are possible!” What’s the worst thing that could happen? I could loose a little money, no one likes it, and I have a lot of books laying around. That’s no reason not to try! It’s hard to believe that my cat taught me to get off my behind and do something new regardless of what obstacles lay in my path, but she did; now I think she can learn a few things from me like how to clean her own litter box or get a job and start contributing to her own food bowl! Maybe Bling really is paralyzed by fear, or maybe she’s just a silly cat, but she showed me another lesson that “God uses the foolish things of this world to confound the wise.”
DAVID SMITH Email: davidbuffy@msn.com
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Showcase these practical pieces (and keep them within reach while you cook) as part of your kitchen décor, on shelves and countertops. Don’t be shy to create a display with complimentary items, such as olive oils or mason jars filled with spices, etc… Remember all your senses, including the power of scent. There’s a reason why we’re told to bake apple muffins before a potential buyer enters our home. Absolutely nothing makes a room more inviting than an appealing scent. Get the scent you desire instantly with a Lampe Berger or scented candles.
www.alenakirby.com
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lena Kirby's Top 10 Tips for Interior Decorating
Table linens are a great way to add texture and life to a dining area. Once traditional and muted, table linens are fast becoming fun and laid-back, adding a temporary splash of color to parties and gatherings. Light it up! Lighting is a perfect example of how form and function meet in interior design; a lamp can light up a room in more ways then one. Look for a bold beautiful piece to add eye-catching charm to any room. Paint it white. Be it furniture, light fixtures or picture frames, if you want to give something new life, paint it white. Think outside the house. If only for a few precious summer months Mother Nature allows us to bask in the beauty of the outdoors. Create an outdoor room in any exterior space that you have the same way that you would indoors, just be careful to use weather durable materials or items that can easily be brought indoors. Don’t hide your kitchenware – especially when you’ve got beautiful high-quality pieces. Le Creuset, for example makes cookware and kitchen accessories that are aesthetically pleasing, and come in a range of superb colors.
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Let your room have a “feel” not a “theme.” Think about what kind of feeling you want each room to evoke, and then decorate according to that. Family photos, for example, are a great way to put feeling into a room. But if, for example, you’re looking to create a fun, whimsical feeling in a room, choose photos of children at play. If you’d like a room to have more of a traditional or formal feeling, posed wedding photos would work. Let your wild side shine – in small areas. Many of us have an outrageous side, and occasionally we fall in love with bold or ornate patterns and pieces. We’re worried it could be “too much,” and in most spaces, probably would be. Don’t shy away from incorporating these elements. Instead choose a small area like a powder room to showcase really out there pieces or patterns. In a small space “too much” can be just enough. If you can, go custom. While we all dream of having enough money to furnish each room with items from the fanciest boutiques, but to create rooms with real soul or character, custom goes a long way. Take an old wing back chair for example, choose an original fabric that ties the room together and have it reupholstered. In the end it may not save you dollars, but the results will be spectacular. Keep it simple. Less is more when it comes to bringing a room together. With less clutter we’re able to better appreciate key decorative items such as a treasured antique, painting or family heirloom.
ALENA KIRBY www.alenakirby.com
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nline Businesses of Family, Friends, & Famous People.
While surfing online I have found some great websites. One I stumbled upon via Facebook was Backpacks 4 Aussie Kids. I have a dream of someday making it to Australia, so anything related to Australia interests me. I checked out the fan page and was directed to their website: http://www.facebook.com/backpacks4aussiekids They are an organization raising funds to provide backpacks for children that are in need. Those children that are in foster care and without the essentials get the opportunity to be blessed! I love their statement, "How can you make a positive difference in a child's life?" Their slogan, "Care for our future." So I donated via paypal to them and was sent a wonderful Certificate of Appreciation! It says my donation has provided joy for kids in crisis! Love that!
Jon Kalis - www.Skeetrdone.com
Don't spend another summer covered in bug spray or trapped indoors. Enjoy your backyard protected by the Mosquito Magnet速. Sprays, candles and lotions offer only temporary relief from mosquitoes and biting insects. This company has a Heartbeat by offering a long-term solution that is scientifically proven to virtually eliminate mosquitoes from your yard. This system will drastically reduce the mosquito population and reduce our risk for illnesses. Genius!
www.skeetrdone.com
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http://backpacks4aussiekids.org
Jenny Plocinski Photography
Have you ever felt like you were supposed to do something? Well I have. I have always felt that the Lord gave me a gift...my hands. I never knew what I was supposed to do with them. I just thought I am supposed to use my hands for kindness, but I think there is more. I love photography!! My husband, friends and family have been telling me this is my calling. Well I decided to try it out. I have to say I love it more and more. I love capturing moments in time ! You may not get those moments back, but you will have the picture to remind you how priceless that moment was. ~ Jenny Plocinski www.jennyplocinskiphotography.weebly.com
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1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
ay Birthdays Happy Birthday to those that are celebrating their birthdays this month.
Lew Lipsit Chazmith Newton Jennifer Porter Melinda Nagy Otero Rebecca Schwab Renel Valcourt Christine Zigby
Here is a list of Family and friends to whom we wish a Happy Birthday Month!
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2. 7.
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1. 5.
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Slow Cooking Cheryl Flothe shares her thoughts on traditional foods and a special recipe!
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other’s Day Origins On Sunday, May 8th we will celebrate Mother’s Day in the U.S.---a day to show our mothers how much we appreciate them and to remember the mothers who have passed before us.
Mothers and motherhood have been remembered or honored in festivals throughout history. The earliest customs were oriented towards fertility and continuation of our human species. Ancient Rome, Greece, and Asia worshipped a mother of all gods. In Christianity, a Mothering Sunday evolved to remember Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, and each person’s mother church. After time, the custom changed from Mothering Sunday to Mother’s Day when mothers would be remembered with gifts and deeds. Mother’s Day was first celebrated by the city of Philadephia in 1908, followed by the State of West Virginia in 1910, then the tradition began to spread to other states. The first International Women’s Day was celebrated in the U.S. in February 1909 and in 1912 the Mother’s Day International Association and Mother’s Day were created. The U.S. signed a proclamation designating a National Mother’s Day on the 2nd Sunday in May in 1913. Today, many countries around the world celebrate either a Mother’s Day or an International Women’s Day. As we celebrate Mother’s Day this year, I’ve found an easy crockpot recipe to make the day a little easier on Mom (or those who are cooking for her)! Have a great day and remember---we don’t need a special day to remember or to do something nice for those we care about in our lives! Cheryl Flothe
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PHOTO courtesy of www.allrecipes.com
BEEF POT PIE 1 lb beef stew meet, cut into 1/4” cubes 1 jar (12 oz) fat-free beef gravy 2 potatoes, peeled and diced 1 pkg (10 oz) frozen mixed vegetables 1 tube (8 oz) reduced-fat crescent rolls • • •
Combine beef, potatoes, vegetables, and gravy in slow cooker. Cover. Cook on low 8-10 hours or high 4-5 hours. Unroll crescent dough and blanket over top of stew. Cover.
Cook on high 1 hour more until top is golden. Servings: 8 (Recipe from PreventionGuide Slow Cooker Recipe Book 2007)
tech tips & quotes
FAVORITES
Online coupons can save you $$$!
One day I was browsing around on the internet and found a website called GroupOn. I signed up for some coupon deals and almost bought a 1/2 off deal to The Botanical Gardens. They said they only had 30 that they had to sell and I had to act fast to get the savings. I was a newbie and so I didn't understand the whole concept and didn't get the deal. More and more companies are popping up that offer sales online, scanable codes to see a special offer and discounts. I created my first QR barcode to offer to those that are using their phone app to scan and it takes you to my Heartbeat Connection Questionnaire & Fanpage.
Great Photo Apps: PhotoMaker, iLoader, & Color Splash
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pps for editing Photos! How many apps do you have on your phone for editing and creating unique photos?
I have several as each one offers its own unique way to fix my pictures just right. I found "PhotoMaker" to be useful as you can rotate your image, save it, then post in on Facebook.
Beth Gatrell, who provides tech tips for her father's company, "Into Tomorrow," has some interesting information regarding what new technology is avaliable and how useful it can be.
I also use "iLoader" as one of my favorite apps to load pictures to Facebook. Once I have the pictures saved onto my phone, I then select them, add captions, and post multiple images to the site.
Here is her tech tip on coupons...
"Color Splash" is one of those cool apps that creates a black and white photo of your image and then you use your finger to select the butterfly or flower and highlight
Into Tommorow's Tech Tip of the Week
Nicole Flothe
Make your technology work for you!
it with color.
Log on to find the best deals … Sites like GroupOn and Living Social both give you the opportunity to select special deals in your area. Living Social even offers deals on relaxing getaways that are available from your location. GeoQpons is another site offering special offers for local establishments right from your phone so you have the latest deals even while you are shopping. Facebook is currently testing its own deal program in select cities, but still allows you to “check in” to places. If any of the local retailers offer any deals, you will be alerted. Google is also testing its version of online and mobile deals, but they are very limited at this time. Keep checking for the latest in deals and join us "Into Tomorrow" as we talk about some of our favorites. Beth Gatrell www.intotomorrow.com
To view more information about iPhone Photo apps visit
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www.iphonesnapshots.weebly.com
Flower Quotes Bread feeds the body, indeed, but flowers feed also the soul. ~The Koran Let us dance in the sun, wearing wild flowers in our hair... ~Susan Polis Shutz
May
Who? What? When? & Where?
Calender of Events Online 1. www.naplesnews.com/events 2. www.neafamily.com/calendar.html 3. www.healthylivingconcierge.com Naples News offers daily events and a nice calender to let everyone know what's happening for the month. Neapolitan Magazine offers a lot of great information and articles geared to your area and what's pertinent to Moms in Naples. Healthy Living Concierge offers a Calender of Healthy Events for the area --- Runs, Yoga, Fresh Market and more!
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Check back next month for coupons and specials.
LOVE
www.heartbeatconnection.com