The Practice of Swaddling

Swaddling a baby by wrapping it snugly in swaddling cloths to restrict movement has been practiced since around 4000 B.C. in Central Asia. Migrating people used back-pack cradle boards to carry babies, and thus started the practice of swaddling. As migration continued from generation to generation, swaddling became a permanent part of their lives. In Biblical times, a newborn baby was washed, rubbed with salt and oil, and then wrapped with strips of cloth. This kept the baby warm and was thought to ensure that the child's limbs would grow straight. By the late 15th century, babies were swaddled for the first 8 or 9 months of life. The baby was wrapped in linen bands from head to foot, with a stay band attached to the forehead and the shoulders to secure the head. This was thought to ensure the baby would grow up without physical deformity.

In the 17th century, opinion started to change regarding swaddling. More and more physicians and surgeons began to dispute the idea that wrapping a baby tightly in swaddling helped develop straight limbs. And because babies would be swaddled and then left for long periods without washing or comforting (particularly with wet nurses), it became associated with neglect. This sentiment grew, starting in England and then spreading later to Western Europe. By the end of the 18th century, more and more people in the Western world rejected swaddling. Many Eastern and tribal people, however, continued to use swaddling throughout this period.

Today, the practice of swaddling is coming back into favor. At birth, the sudden freedom of movement can be distressing to a baby. The thought behind modern swaddling is that it simulated the closeness of the womb. Since the early 1990s, medical studies have shown that placing a baby on its back to sleep reduces the risk of SIDS. A swaddled baby sleeps better on its back, so swaddling has been recommended more and more to new parents. Swaddling also prevents newborns from waking themselves with their startle reflex. Studies had described two main effect of swaddling babies: they are calmer with fewer movement and get more REM sleep. Swaddling a crying infant decreases blood pressure and pressure in the brain, both of which become elevated at the onset of distress. A distressed baby calms down and relaxes when swaddled. Colic is alleviated when a baby is swaddled and held upright on the shoulder so that food can be properly digested. Make note however that a swaddled baby should never be left to sleep on its stomach because of the restricted movement.

To be effective, a baby must remain snugly wrapped in the baby blanket while asleep. Modern swaddling is done in cotton receiving blankets, cotton muslin wraps, or specialized baby blanket swaddles. Loose or ineffective wrapping using a too small baby blanket can be kicked off by a restless baby. In these cases, the risk of SIDS increases as the baby blanket can cover the baby's face. There is also a danger when too heavy or multiple baby blankets are used to swaddle a baby. This can cause overheating in the baby and increases the risk of SIDS. By the time a baby is learning to roll over, parents should stop swaddling. When rolling, the baby needs the use of its hand and arms to adjust their head position.

There are several things that should be watched when swaddling a baby.
Tight swaddling can increase the risk of hip dysplasia.Tight swaddling can lead to life-threatening hyperthermia.One study showed a fourfold increase in developing respiratory infections in swaddled babies.One pediatrician found the flattening of the occipital aspect of the head in babies wrapped tightly and laid in traditional cradles.Swaddling can be linked with a prolonged recovery from weight loss after birth. This is thought to be caused by the fact that swaddling does not allow skin to skin contact between the mother and child. Skin to skin contact reduces the stress of being born and helps maintain the baby's body temperature.Swaddling can cause maternal behavior to be weaker because there in less interaction between the mother and the baby.

Swaddling is still practiced worldwide, but has more acceptance in some countries than others. It is still practiced more in non-industrialized cultures, but seems to be gaining some popularity in the U.S., Great Britain, and the Netherlands. As in all things, it is the parent's choice as to whether they swaddle a newborn. Most hospitals swaddle newborns, so if it seems to calm the baby, life will be much easier if the practice is continued when the baby goes home. There are many baby blankets available now to make swaddling easier, so make sure to find the baby blanket that works best for you.

Beth Moore is a quilter that turned her passion for baby quilts into a website - BabyQuiltComfort.com. Currently, the site offers a wide variety of baby quilts, crib sets, baby blankets, and baby gifts. In the future, hand made quilts will be featured on the site as well.

http://EzineArticles.com/6503089

Do Slimming Pills and Supplements Really Lead To Weight Loss?

We are now a nation of overweight people.

The terrible truth is that it has now become normal to be fat. In fact, more than half of us are now either clinically obese or very much overweight.

The epidemic of obesity that has swept through North America, the UK and Australia has brought with it a host of major health problems from diabetes to heart disease. Nowadays, being overweight and being sick has become the rule rather than the exception. It is now the norm.

Why are so many people now overweight?

Well, we don't need to be rocket scientists to understand that the reason is because we're consuming more calories than we burn. The fast paced, fast food lifestyle that so many of us are forced into fills our bodies with too much sugar, fat and salt.

Calorie-rich fast foods, convenience foods, snacks, candy bars and drinks laced with sugars and corn syrup all contribute to the pandemic of obesity that has now become the norm.

Rather than face this simple fact, many people prefer to bury their head in the sand(witches) and look for easy options that will enable them to continue with their old lifestyle yet magically reduce their weight.

Slimming supplements and slimming pills are now a multi-million dollar and multi-million pound industry full of hype and promises of an easy solution to being overweight.

What the manufacturers and purveyors of these products fail to advertise, of course, is that there is no real credible evidence that they work. In fact, everything seems to point to the fact that they make little or no difference when it comes to helping you reduce your weight, become slimmer or healthier.

Heavy marketing and advertising hype aside, these products simply do not have any reliable supporting clinical research to back up their amazing claims.

Despite this fact, people continue to buy these pills and potions in desperation, continuing to fuel the huge and ever-growing market for easy weight-loss products. What they refuse to accept is that while they are feeding the bank balance of manufacturers, they are simply wasting their own money.

We can lose weight naturally, without pills and supplements by becoming aware of what we eat and why we eat it in the way that we do.

Avoiding processed foods and sticking, as much as possible to whole foods, fresh fruit and vegetables can bring things back into balance. After all, when was the last time you saw someone get fat by eating too many carrots or apples?

Eliminating all simple sugars and eating complex carbohydrates, which help balance our blood sugar levels and stabilize our moods, can accelerate our weight reduction. In addition, we also need to avoid all hidden, saturated and trans fats.

It also helps, of course, if we engage in a regular program of exercise in order to burn off some of that stored energy that we call fat.

The real secret of weight loss lies not in gimmicky pills and supplements, but in altering our relationship with food. Hypnosis is an excellent way to achieve this.

Through the medium of hypnosis we can re-align the subconscious mind so that it works in harmony with our wishes, making healthy eating as natural as it was meant to be. And when we eat in the way that nature intended then we automatically reduce our weight, becoming slimmer, fitter and healthier.

Peter Field is a leading British hypno-psychotherapist, Fellow of the Royal Society of Health and creator of the revolutionary new 3 Step Hypnosis-Slimming System.

http://EzineArticles.com/6504357

The 4 Most Commonly Used Room Dividers and Their Uses

The best room divider is, of course, a wall. But let's face it; building a permanent wall isn't always feasible or affordable. Whether it's your home, school, church, business or office, room dividers can create new spaces, add just the right touch to décor, give privacy and reduce noise.

There are four room dividers that are most commonly used. In order to help you to know which may be the best option for your situation, I'll list them below and give some of the more appropriate uses for each divider:

1. Screens
Screens are extremely versatile and can be used both at home or in a business / public situation. Because screens are lightweight and free standing, they can be easily setup and taken down or moved around. Screens also are usually the most decorative of the room dividers.

Screens are best used for situations when you only temporarily need to divide a room or when decoration is important (like when used at home). Screens do not block sound well, so these are not the best option if you need divide a room for separate discussions or presentations. Also, because screens are lightweight, they should be used away from large crowds to prevent them from being knocked over.

2. Portable Panels
Similar to screens portable panels are able to be easily setup, taken down, and can have casters to make them easy to move around. However, portable panels are sturdier and block light and sound better than screens, thus providing more privacy.

Portable Panels are best used for situations when you need more privacy for groups, but the division of the room needs to change from time to time (thus making fixed dividers impractical). Portable panels are not decorative and don't usually work well in homes, but are sturdier than screens allowing them to be used around large groups without worrying about them being knocked over.

3. Fixed Folding / Sliding Panels
Fixed panels are sturdy, solid dividers that are mounted to a wall and possibly set in runners on the floor or ceiling. These room partitions are essentially portable walls providing full privacy.

Fixed folding/sliding panels are best for rooms which need to be divided in the same way each time. They are often used for dividing conference rooms, classrooms, or church halls. Because they can extend from floor to ceiling, they are great for dividing a room for separate discussions or presentations.

4. Office Partition Installations
There are a wide variety of office partitions available. People are most familiar with cubicles and reception partitions with counters, but the options extend well beyond that with different shapes, sizes, and materials. These dividers can be decorative, such as decorative glass, or utilitarian, such a corkboard.

Office partitions are best used when you don't want a full wall or you want the flexibility to change the layout of the partitions from time to time. They are not easily moved, but can be installed and uninstalled as needed. So, they are more permanent than portable panel, but less permanent than a wall.

There are many situations where you may want to have a larger room available, but be able to divide it as needed as well. Dividers give you flexibility to change the layout of a room when you need to.

Mary P. Sargeant is an author and the Marketing Communications Coordinator for Dallas Midwest. Dallas Midwest in an office furniture outlet offering a wide range of furniture solutions for offices, schools, churches, libraries and more carying everything from wood podiums, to conference tables, to fabric office chairs and everything in between.

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6 Things Every New Homeowner Should Know

Your first home has gone from a long-term dream to a reality. Here are six things every new homeowner should know to keep that dream from becoming a nightmare.

(1) I cannot stress enough the importance of maintenance. There is a ton of maintenance that goes into any home. Painting, plumbing, lawn care and the lists go on. A good way to get a feel for your homes needs, weaknesses and strengths is to take a look at the home inspection report provided to you when you bought the house. This can be a great guide in figuring out just what problems you may run into and also to start your list of home repairs to be done in the near to far future. Maintaining your home on a regular basis can prevent small problems from turning into large costly problems.

(2) The foundation will naturally develop hairline cracks over time. You will want to inspect the basement walls of your new home and locate these cracks to make sure they are not allowing water through the wall. Keeping a close eye on these cracks over time, will allow you to stop them from becoming larger cracks that, if not fixed, can seriously damage the structural integrity of the house.

(3) The roof should be checked yearly for broken or missing shingles, moss and leaks. If your roof is more than twelve years old, a professional inspection should be done and the necessary repairs or replacements should be made in order to maintain the integrity or your roof.

(4) Know where your home's electrical panel is located. This will be very important in case of a power outage. Check the breakers and test which circuits are connected to which outlets and switches throughout the house. Labeling these breakers will be a real help in the future. Noting the amperage of the breakers will help you to avoid overloading breakers. Check for rusted circuit breakers yearly. Circuit breakers that are rusted can prevent a circuit from shutting off when being overloaded, potentially causing a fire.

(5) Homeowners insurance is a must have! There are many different types of insurance available from many different providers. Do the research into the different types of policies and the different needs and concerns that you have for your home. Some examples are replacement coverage and flood damage coverage.

(6) Know where the main shutoffs for gas, water and electricity are. Knowing where these are would be crucial in an emergency. Locate and label the shutoffs for each of these and become familiar with them.

Using these six simple guidelines can help protect and maintain your investment for years to come.

Megan Perry is a writer who looks forward to sharing her knowledge and advice with readers. For more on owning a home, Five Star Mortgage offers new homeowners insurance tips.

http://EzineArticles.com/6511696

Why Summer Community Service Programs Are A Hit With Teens

With all of a teenager's energy, it's no surprise that constructive ways need to be found to channel it. Every summer the news documents incidents of crowds of teenagers, with little to do, who exercise bad choices by joining in mob actions that are often destructive, and sometimes dangerous. Fortunately however, there are regional, national and even worldwide summer community service programs with leadership committed to helping teens get involved doing things to help others as they are helped to grow and mature.

Preparing for the Future by Developing a World View
Helping teenagers to understand that being responsible extends beyond themselves is one part of good summer community service programs. It's easy for a teen to become self-absorbed. Unfortunately, it's a natural extension for someone who hasn't had to deal with any real responsibilities for their whole life. That's where summer community service programs give teens the ability to learn that humanity often needs them to look beyond their needs and look to the needs of others. These programs allow the teen to develop relationships with a team of volunteers and with others beyond their own borders, and from that they can realize that, if by no other way, every human and every community is attached by our connection to this planet. Being able to contribute to a global community, teens can expand their own horizons and reach a changed perspective of the world and those who live in it.

Developing as an Individual and a Team Member
It's important to realize that in the program our individual acts make a difference; however, working with a summer community service program and with a team, a person can learn that the community is capable of so much more than a single person working towards the same goal. The benefits of teamwork and what can be accomplished enhance the larger community. And they can also learn that, at times, an individual's positive efforts inspire the entire community because good works can be contagious. That's because they often learn that the first step to success comes from simply getting started. After the start is made, others are encouraged to contribute their efforts as well. The teenager can both grow as an individual, and also leave with a huge sense of achievement for what they and their team accomplished.

Memories for a Lifetime
As a trip that will be remembered as the experience of a lifetime, being a part of summer community service programs enables teens to be involved in a truly memorable trip. Not only will they have built friendships with those on their team but with those who their team interacted with during the program. They will come to know the people whose lives they have impacted, and will return home a more confident global citizen. The teenager may also develop a greater respect for the world in which we live and the things that they hold important in their life.

Learn that we spread our legacy through the works we offer when we offer to assist others is an invaluable lesson with youth development programs. It's in this way that we pay it forward.

A great way for your teens to learn leadership skills and other valuable lessons is by getting involved in community summer programs. Terry Galloway knows that going to youth development programs every summer means teens can be involved by helping those that need it.

http://EzineArticles.com/6504181

Neighbours From Hell

Neighbourhood Bullies

Probably most decent people have experienced or at least have heard about the effects that a bully targeting you from within your immediate neighbourhood has on his or her victims. The law tends to close its eyes to complaints as police are at a loss to know who is telling the truth and the courts need hard evidence of criminal activity before it condemns the accused.

Mischief Makers

That lets bullies out. They can create their mischief in secret at any time night or day and mostly with things that are completely unexpected. Such as letting a loud fire cracker off under your window or chucking a rock on the roof at 2 or 3 a.m. You fly out of bed with heart pounding thinking something has exploded within your house and then lie awake for most of the night in panic.

Your garden suffers unbelievably as his or her focus shifts to stealing your plants, smashing your pots, taking away tools and harvesting your vegetables that you worked hard all summer producing.

Every action of this nature is stressful and the intimidation felt keeps you inside for most of the time. You don't want to confront the abuser again as an attack previously led to you being called unprintable names and threats sent you into another panic attack. So what do you do?

If you have lived in the place for a long time and have friends and support in the area you probably don't want to move. You might also have children who attend a local school and who are being also abused and intimidated by your neighbour and the kids.

No Help from The Law

The police are useless although they attend every time you call them. Getting the evidence, such as pictures of such an offence, proves impossible. The way to treat them, therefore, is possibly by changing the law to allow registers to be publicly displayed and for such criminals to be treated in the same way as paedophiles are.

The stress and shocks received at their hands can and does drive people to suicide. Others might die of a heart attack and many will move rather than continue to deal with it. The consequences can and do change people's lives as well as their relationship with family members and neighbours.

Having put up with this kind of behaviour from one of my neighbours it is not without experience that this report has been written.

There is no escape from the Neighbour Bullies it seems unless you catch them in the act of damaging your property, have a recording of their threats or you move.

http://EzineArticles.com/6508942

Three Online Resources to Support Homeschooling Parents

So, you decided to home school your child. It may be because you dislike the environment of the schools available or you decide to home school owing to religious/moral reasons.

Homeschooling entails a big responsibility and commitment - and you as a parent and homeschooling teacher needs to ensure that your child learns effectively at home.

Whatever the reason, your success as a homeschooling parent will depend not only in finding a curriculum that best fits your child but also on other resources that will support your child's learning process.

Here are some support options available online for homeschooling parents:

1. Homeschooling Groups

There are a plethora of homeschooling groups online. Many of these groups have meet-ups and educational 'field trips' together.

There are also homeschooling co-ops. Homeschooling co-ops are similar to school because they are centered around classes and subjects. And, many of them run like a school where a child goes from class to class.

Some join homeschooling groups or co-ops to add a socialization element to their child's education while other's join them to diversify the subjects the child is learning.

2. Online tutoring

Online tutoring can enhance your child's home schooling.

This is because children may not always respond positively to their parents while learning. This is what a trained online tutor provides - extra coaching to revive your child's interest on their academic studies. A child may respond more positively to a different teacher with a different teaching style.

There are many types of online tutoring. Some parents use it for one-on-one tutoring. This allows the child to focus on subjects or concepts you are not as well versed in. This would also encourage him to ask questions to the tutor ensuring that your child is receiving a well rounded education.

Many online tutors produce progress reports and updates for parents. This enables the parent/teacher to tailor their lesson plans.

An online tutor can also help your child in developing good study habits. Companies which offer high quality tutorial services usually employ effective learning methods like mind mapping and visual learning.

3. Social Networking

Today, when a homeschooling parent comes across a problem or questions he or she can simply post it on various social networking sites to receive answers quickly. For example, the parent can post the question on Twitter or via Facebook by updating their status. They can get answers back instantly from other homeschooling parents.

Let these tools help you as meet the challenges and success that comes with homeschooling. Happy trails on your homeschooling journey!

Prime is a content management strategist for Ahead Interactive (http://www.aheadinteractivetutorial.com/), leading provider of live, video-powered online tutorials. She writes articles on productivity and stress management to help busy working women cope with overwhelm.

http://EzineArticles.com/6494917

Saying No (Gracefully) To The Wave Of Requests To Volunteer At School

The minute your children start school, the requests for volunteer help start rolling in. And since there is nothing more critical than your child's education, it can be very, very difficult to turn down the requests. After all, there is a definite correlation between active parental participation and school performance.

But getting it right is another matter.

Whether you're a stay-at-home mom, work-at-home mom, or work-outside-the-home, there's just a boat-load of guilt that comes with this territory. You can feel guilty you're not doing enough, guilty you're doing too much and shortchanging your family of quality time? guilty for saying no? guilty for saying yes? So what's a mom to do? Fundamentally it comes down to committing to do fewer things, better. When you take on too much, you don't end up doing anything as well as you could. So, if you struggle to say no without guilt, here are five simple strategies to help:

1. Follow the rule of one

Allow yourself to participate in one volunteer event per school year. Do that one event well. Whenever someone asks you to pitch in, if it's not the one you agreed to help with, simply say, "I've already committed to work on Project X and that's all I can really take on this year."

2. Put a policy in place

If you struggle to balance your checkbook, let's face it, you'd make a lousy swim team treasurer! Make it a policy to only take on volunteer projects that are a good fit with your skill set. When someone asks you to lend a hand with something you're not terribly good at, all you have to do is say something like, "Oh, I'm the wrong person to ask for help with that? I'd make a mess of it." You can also make it a policy to only volunteer time that involves interaction with your children. Shelving the library books vs. chaperoning the school trip, for instance.

3. Beg for time

Swap your "sure, no problem" for "that sounds really interesting; let me think about it and get back to you." Then use the time to determine whether or not you really want to take on the task.

4. Script some no responses in advance

Sometimes it's easier to have a canned response than to figure out how to respond in the moment. A good one: "my heart says yes, but my calendar says no."

5. Use email

If you feel the pressure to say yes in-person, use strategy #3 and then deliver your no via email or voicemail.

Using these strategies will help you hone in on the volunteering you really want to do, have time for, and that means something to your and your child!

Buttoned Up is dedicated to helping stretched & stressed women get organized. Co-founders Alicia Rockmore & Sarah Welch team up with a group of Gurus to give you tips & products for all your messy, stressed needs & introduce "imperfect organization." Visit http://www.getbuttonedup.com/ to see which Guru matches your style & get info on Everyday Life, Life Essentials & Life Events

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How To Find A Bargain At The Local Markets

Some weekends we go bargain hunting down at the local markets, and last Saturday it was the turn of the arts and crafts market. A customer was talking to one of the stall holders, and the first question he asked was could he get a certain product for half price!

The stall holder was somewhat surprised at this request. Whilst you can expect to negotiate prices from market traders, asking for half price is not going to win any friends in some countries, whereas in other countries that is an accepted part of the process.

Sometimes you'll find stall holders have marked-up their products knowing customers are seeking large discounts. They may catch unsuspecting tourists who don't even think to negotiate the prices, and then happily part with the price as marked.

Finding a market stall that is owner operated gives you a far better chance of being able to negotiate the sale price, though when looking at new products, you'll have less chance of finding bargains.

Our local market has many stalls selling second-hand goods, often purchased from garage sales in the area, reminding me of the saying: "One man's trash is another man's treasure". Some of it really is junk, though if you look closely you'll occasionally stumble across a bargain. When that happens, you need to have a poker face.

The secret is not to show too much interest when you find a bargain. We wait for the market trader to make a quick mental calculation based on how much they have paid to purchase the item, and how much profit they think they can make on the item. Often they have really little idea of what a customer would be prepared to pay, and it's a case of the first person to speak loses!

The market stall holder may ask:"How much would you like to pay?" Rather than answer, I'll just give a quizzical look. Or the other option is that the stall holder may say:"That's ten dollars", in which case I'll also give a quizzical look.

Have you ever noticed how in these situations, after a few seconds that silence becomes awkward and uncomfortable? It only feels that way if you let it feel that way. I've been in situations where they'll say, "OK, I can knock two dollars off!".

You see, the first person to speak next loses.

A favorite trick is then to walk away. If you hear them shout after you, you know that you've got a chance of a further reduction of the advertised price.

The great thing about a finding a bargain is that you made a purchase at a price that you feel is below what you would have been prepared to pay. It's nothing to do with what other people would pay. And often it's nothing to do with the real value of an item.

Part of the fun in finding a bargain at the local markets is in the search, not the purchase. Another part is the price negotiation, and the satisfaction that you believe that you've saved money on an item that you have been searching for a while to find.

We've found that by chatting to the stall holder, taking an interest in what they do, and who they are, will often lead to discovering some surprises and some true bargains, as they open up to you and reveal some hidden gems that they may have "forgotten" about and are not on display.

Have fun, be relaxed, take an interest, and you could soon be finding some great bargains at the local markets.

http://EzineArticles.com/6502718

Say No To Family Events This Year

As the summer comes to an end, only a few things are constant in the coming future; cold weather and family gatherings. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Eve. At some point you won't be able to skip that dreaded family event. Uncle Steve will ask for a hundred dollars, your sister in law will have six thousand questions hoping to figure out why her husband is dysfunctional. (if you're lucky) You're Mother and Father are a year older, crankier, more blunt asking constant questions about your job, love life, and health. Stress is at an all time high, you never know what will be said, or what odd behavior will occur to make you think; this is it for me, no more family events. If you feel this way you're not alone, family events are the most stressful times of the year. According to a Harvard Poll done in 1996, it was considered that family gatherings are one of the ten most stressful events. Family can be overbearing, selfish, and most important, oblivious to the turmoil they cause you.

You Can Choose Your Friends but you can't choose your family:

Family is special. Beside being infinitely annoying, they have been around since the beginning of your time. Have known you through all the hard and good times. They attended all of your events,and supported you when you needed that helping hand. That sounds great, but why do they cause so much stress? Why do we continue to participate in these yearly events? We must be masochist or insane. " I absolutely can't stand holidays, because it's ground hog day. I know exactly what's going to happen and the end result. It's never pretty," Says Judy Holmes A New Jersey Homemaker. Why do we feel responsible for engaging ourselves, we know what's going to happen. If you don't go, if you don't entertain these stressful events does this make you less loving or less family oriented? Try telling Mom, that you're not coming over for Thanksgiving because you'd rather sit home with a microwave turkey and watch the game. Conniption is not the word. We feel pushed, manipulated and coerced into attending. What to do.

It's Simple, don't go:

I know that sounds crazy, It's definitely not the PC thing to say. But, don't go! The only way to alleviate the stress of the holidays is to be absent. The problem is people tend to not see their family all year and cram all that time in 2-3 days. If you can possibly set aside some time during the course of the year, spending one on one time with Grandma, taking Dad and Mom out to lunch a couple times a month you won't feel bad about missing the gatherings for Christmas and Thanksgiving. That's what keeps us coming, its guilt. The guilt of not fulfilling family objectives, the guilt of the possibility of never seeing these people again is overbearing. The guilt of feeling disconnected or being looked upon as not being a part of the family is tough to swallow. As the holidays roll around don't feel bad about not going to the family gatherings, just give your time throughout the year and you will be fine. What do you think about this method?

Five Things To Do For the Holidays

Stay Home:

Staying Home is not a bad idea, you get a few days off work why spend that time over eating and listening to rhetoric from all sides of the family.

Take A Trip:

Go on a vacation, rates are never cheaper during the holidays but the most opportune time to take a vacation. Because most have paid time off work, if you accompany your holiday with vacation pay you can create a longer vacation.

Create A Party With Friends:

Invite friends who share your passion, make an event with people that actually don't annoy you.

Go To A Sporting Event:

Nothing makes a better holiday excuse than, "I have front row seats, sideline tickets to the game."

Work:

Spend the time working, this sounds counterproductive. Some people do like their jobs, use this time to catch up or figure out new ways to gain that bonus or strategize on how to gain on your competitor. This is an opportune time because you know others are not on the same page.

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Celebrating Life With Style

Celebrating our families and our lives is just as important as celebrating a birthday or a holiday. Many times we get caught up in the fast pace of life that moments which could be celebrated pass us by faster than we would like to admit.

There are many ways to celebrate - some examples we are very familiar with are birthday parties, celebrating a holiday, an anniversary, or a graduation. However, each day can be celebrated with style just by making small changes in our routine, i.e., by using special pottery pieces to serve our every day meals, preparing food in a new way and making it gourmet.

We can create the special feelings of hospitality, warmth, and welcoming in our own homes with our families and friends. Using chef-selected foods, beautiful table top products, wine accessories, and lovely home decor to make moments stylish and memorable can be very easy and uncomplicated.

Gourmet food preparation can be made simple by using sauces, seasoning mixes, flavoring syrups, spreads, and specialty toppings. Many people hear the word gourmet and think it must be complicated. There are chef inspired foods which make it quite easy to have gourmet foods at home. Some examples are: place two teaspoons amount of Mountain Berry Wasabi Mustard Spread in a pretty little bowl to use a dip for pretzels. Or, use the Wasabi when cooking salmon for delicious compliment. Also, mix together a can of fire roasted tomatoes, black beans, and shoe peg with a packet of Summer Salsa Seasoning Mix for a delicious dip with corn chips.

Home decor products help to add a little more style to your home along with a touch of comfort to your family. Place a Compliment Jar on an end table as a pretty decorative piece which also serves as jar for collecting compliments you write about a family member or a friend. Imagine the good feelings this could generate to those special persons about whom the compliments are written. What a wonderful tradition for uplifting the people we love.

Serving dinner can be so special when a little attentional is given to presentation. When you present your family with a delicious meal served on beautiful pieces, they are bound to ask who is coming for dinner. When you tell your family this meal is for you because you are special, what an incredible relationship building moment.

Celebrating with style does not have to be complicated. Take a little time to celebrate each day with style!

Women are the Executives of their Homes. Everyday living includes taking care of the home, the children, a husband and a job, whether inside or outside the home. Visit http://home-executive.com/ for helpful information on making your life as the Executive of your Home a little bit easier.

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Use Crown Moulding To Decorate Simple Homes

If you want to decorate your home with beautiful architectural designs, you can choose crown moulding. These decorations have intricate designs and can be easily installed on the ceiling and the walls.

Different Designs Available

In traditional homes, decorations for the ceiling and walls would be made out of wood. Such items are very heavy and difficult to install especially at the ceiling. Nowadays, intricate ceiling medallions and wall decorations are available in lighter materials which are easy to fix. You can check on the internet for manufacturers of different home decoration items. By installing ceiling decorations and crown moulding, you can make your plain and simple home look exquisite. You can check the website of the manufacturer for the different designs available which make ordinary homes into special ones.

There are a wide variety of designs and colors available, so you can choose an appropriate decoration as per the size of the room. The color of the room is important to select an appropriate wall and ceiling decoration. It is a good idea to choose decorations for the walls according to the ceiling decoration. The wall decorations are available in the form of strips which can be easily fixed on the wall where it meets the ceiling. The decorations have to be fixed with the help of a strong adhesive. You can choose crown moulding with floral designs or geometric patterns as per your choice.

After selecting an appropriate design, you can place an online order for the decorations. You can choose both ceiling and wall home décor items if you want your home to look ornate. Otherwise, you can install only wall decorations along the ceiling on all four walls to beautify the interiors of the room. Generally, homeowners select ornate home furnishing only in special areas of their home like the sitting or dining area. Such decorations help separate the area from the rest of the house and also give the space a special touch. It is important to consult an interior designer who can suggest the right size, color, and design of the ceiling and wall decorations so that room looks beautiful. You can pay for the selected item online by your credit or debit card or via PayPal online payment.

Items are Easy to Clean and Maintain

The company takes the responsibility of shipping crown moulding to the desired location for which delivery charges have to be paid by the client. If there is an outlet of the company in your city, you can ask the dealer to deliver the item at the desired address. Especially, bulky items like decorative columns which are used to make the balcony and porch look attractive are easy to deliver from nearby outlets. Although these home decorations are bulky, they are not as heavy as wooden columns and ceiling decorations. Also, the costs of fiber decorations are less than their wooden counterparts and are easy to clean and maintain. You can check the costs of the different decorations displayed on the site and choose an exquisite design which is suitable for your home and budget.

By selecting crown moulding and other home decorations, you can improve your home interiors at reasonable costs.

Use Crown Moulding of suitable color and design to decorate the walls of your home. Choose Ceiling Medallions which are lightweight and easy to install.

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Fun and Easy Art Projects for Kids

Most children simply love to create art projects. Drawing, painting, and making crafts tend to be fun activities for children and wonderful methods to practice small motor skills and coordination. One added advantage is the fact that once your child learns to love art from a young age it becomes an appreciation that can be carried throughout the remainder of their life. If you'd like to help your child exercise his or her creative skills whilst enjoying a great time, here's two fun and easy art projects to try.

Art Utilizing the Hand

If you want a craft project that's fun, fast and inexpensive, it's hard to beat hand art. All you need is a pad of paper, a box of crayons, and your child's hand. The first thing to do is to take a crayon and trace around your own hand onto a piece of paper. Then, use your creativity to transform your hand tracing into something entirely different. Although most people have traced their hand and transformed it into a turkey during the Thanksgiving season as a child, there are plenty of other creative and fun things you can do. One example would be to draw a face within the palm portion and then make the fingers into a spiked hairdo. You might like to turn your paper upside-down after making the hand tracing. The fingers might become a space monsters legs or even an insect. This can be a creative and cheap way for you to spend an afternoon. Make sure that you take a couple of the child's favorite hand tracing pictures and display them in picture frames.

Paper Towel "Tie Dye" Project

Your youngster can create numerous pieces of dyed artwork through the use of some plain white paper towels, water, some rubber bands or twist-ties, paper clips, a few small bowls, plus some watercolor paints. Start by placing a vinyl tablecloth or plastic drop cloth over the table to protect the surface. Fold a plain white paper towel in a fan-fold fashion. Then, use the rubber bands, twisty-ties or paper clips to restrict the folds in a few areas. Pour a small amount of water in each bowl. Add a different color of watercolor paint to every bowl while using the brush. Dip different parts of the folded paper towel into every color. The paper towel absorbs the colored paints, and the locations that have the paper clips, rubber bands, and twist ties will remain white. When you have added enough different colors, blot the folded towel gently with clean paper towels to remove excess moisture. Then, take off the rubber bands, twisty-ties and paper clips to disclose the tie dye thing of beauty. Lay your beautiful creation flat to dry. You can also cover the painted paper towel using a clean paper towel and iron it to eliminate the folds. This beautifully colored tie dye art looks nice when displayed in picture frames, adding plenty of color and design to your room.

With some new ideas to try, have some fun getting your child going on an excellent project. Be sure to frame the end product so that it can be proudly displayed!

Autumn Lockwood is a writer for Your Picture Frames. Display your favorite photos in one of our black 5x7 picture frames. Shop online and see our fashionable picture frames now or call 800-780-0699.

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Post College Survival Techniques

Clearing college comes with a feeling of achievement and relief for many after years of toil, late night studying and exams. Everybody leaves with the promise that comes with graduating; well paying jobs, financial independence and all the time in the world to do whatever you want. However this bubble quickly bursts when you realize that life out there is actually very difficult. The promise quickly turns to days of foreboding as jobs are harder to come by. Below are a few tips that can help you make this post college experience easier.

Avoid Debts
The credit cards booths installed in colleges are there for a reason; to make you spend. The college days are full of fun especially the numerous parties, camp outs and hikes. There is the silent war that is always in campuses, with competitions on who has the latest gadgets, shoes bags and the rest. You might graduate with thousands of dollars in credit card debts for things you could have done without. The trick is to avoid using the credit card as much as possible except for serious emergencies only. Note that latest pair of high heels is not an emergency at all. Opt for buying stuff using cash as it is far much more painful to hand over a stash of hundreds than a simple card swipe.

Take any Job
While many dream of landing a job the moment they graduate, this is very far from the truth. Jobs are very hard to come by, even the low paying ones. Getting a post college job in your field of interest may not be that easy. Since you need loose cash to take care of small expenses, it is recommended that you settle for any job that shows up to help pay your bills as you seek a better job elsewhere. As you seek your dream career, that shift at the restaurant will teach you a lot about working hard, interacting with people, saving money and organizing your time.

Keep contact
It is important to keep your inner circle of friends after college. Here are friends in campus that you were close with, and you would help each other out in the hard times. At this point in life, it is very important to know that the post college depression and stress you are facing is universal as been alone can be very depressing. You can meet up and exchange experiences.

Grad Schools
Though the idea of more studying does not appeal to many after years of grueling study, a grad course is not a bad idea after college. Though you may be cash strapped, may grad schools will offer tuition scholarships.it usually takes two or three more years, a period which can easily be wasted at home. Other than increasing your chances of getting a well paying job, it saves you the post college stress of hanging around the house trying to figure out what to do.

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Making A Statement With Your Flooring Renovation

There are several home renovations that you can do in your home that will make a statement. One of them for certain is your choice of flooring. No matter what you choose when initiating a flooring renovation in your home makes sure that the change reflects your family and lifestyle. Taking these things into consideration allows you to have flooring that will with stand the beating your family will put the floor through and will make sure that you love the look of it because it will be with you, hopefully, for an extended periods of time.

Flooring can be a good chunk of a room renovation. It is advisable that if you have the money you complete all flooring renovations when you purchase your home before you move into it. This type of renovation becomes much more of a hassle as you live in your home and accumulate the goods a household does over time.

There are so many types of flooring available today how do you choose? This is all personal preference. Look at what is the most important item to you when looking into this renovation. Are you worried about function? Do you need the flooring to last forever? Are you looking for something comfy to be under foot? Would you like something more modern? Are you concerned with resale? All these things will help you narrow down your choice in flooring materials.

Option With Flooring and Benefits and Drawbacks

Laminate flooring is a great option for families with small children and pets. It is the same look as hardwood without the expense and upkeep. You don't have to worry about the moisture and scuffing that happens with real hardwood. Laminate is maintenance easy too. If you sweep and mop regularly you will avoid the dirt lying around to scratch the laminate. Of course there are consumers who don't like faux material. If you are in the market to sell you might choose a different material to appeal to the masses. It is definitely possible upon inspection to tell that laminate is laminate not hardwood. This could be a disadvantage for some people.

Hardwood flooring is a very versatile well liked material to use in flooring renovations. In is incredibly valuable to the resale of your home, easy to repair and can be maintained fairly easy. It is a material that will stand the test of time. However, it is expensive to purchase and if you have animals be careful because their nails will scratch the surface. Hardwood floors are also not the best place to sit and get comfortable so make sure if you have wood floors in your living space and small children get ready to purchase a throw rug.

Cork flooring is good for homes that the subfloor is uneven as it is easy to be installed on all types of surfaces. It is an all natural material and fits within the ethical flooring range. It holds sound well and is a perfect material to use as an insulator. Disadvantages include that it does require maintenance. If you don't seal the cork flooring every five years it can lose its waterproof quality and can also be stained more easily then if treated. Sharp objects can puncture the seal so that is also something to consider when laying a cork floor.

Carpet flooring is very versatile and has a great number of styles, colors and textures to choose from. Carpet is easy to install and comes in various price ranges to fit into all budgets and lifestyles. You do need to keep up on regular maintenance which includes steam cleaning bi-yearly and spot cleaning when necessary. It is a wonderful flooring option if you have young family members who spend a lot of time playing on the floor.

Vinyl flooring is inexpensive and fairly easy to install. It does require an even clean surface for installation. The one thing is that vinyl wears down and loses it sheen quickly. It is best used in rooms that don't receive a great deal of traffic or that wear is not necessarily a huge issue such as mudrooms and basements.

Ceramic flooring is great for the easy of cleaning and resilience. It is very strong but can be cracked if something heavy is dropped on it. Installation is normally fairly straight forward. The ceramic tiles can be purchased in various colors and is family friendly. Ceramic works well in kitchen/dining areas and bathrooms for its ability to repel the moisture that those rooms often attract.

Flooring renovation options are really a personal choice and should be made with your family in mind. If you have a pool and wet kids running in and out all day carpet and hardwood are most likely not great choices for you. However if you are a home with older children who are more careful and don't tend to spill carpet and hardwood are great options that look beautiful and tend to hold for long periods of time under normal use and conditions.

If you have enjoyed this article on flooring renovations from Kevin Germain at CPS visit our website http://www.jfcremodeling.com/ today where you will find useful information on our flooring renovations.

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How to SAVE Money on Rising ENERGY Costs!

A Sunny Future for Household Energy?

Homeowners and renters alike will no doubt be worried about the news that energy company Swalec is the third firm since June to increase its household electricity and gas rates. The company, part of Scottish and Southern Energy, is, amongst other things, blaming the wholesale price of energy in order to justify the rise, which will mean that the cost of household electricity will increase by 11% and gas will rise by 18% in September.

Why is the cost of household energy increasing?

Quite simply Swalec has had to increase its prices because, it says, the wholesale cost of energy has increased, the price of electricity has increased by 23% and gas by 40% since the last price-increase by the company in 2008. The cost of distributing energy has also increased by 14% according to estimates by Ofgem. Finally energy companies state that government implemented schemes such as the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target and the Warm Home Discount that require capital investment by energy suppliers is increasing their costs.

What will the effect on households be?

About 5.2 million electricity customers and 3.6 million gas customers could be affected by these changed across the UK. An increase in out going bills could tip more homeowners into the red in an already struggling market where more and more people are finding it difficult to keep up to date with their mortgage repayments. In particular people on pay-freezes and pensions will be hit hardest as their income will fail to meet the rising cost of living in Britain. Ofgem have estimated that, based on the average household fuel consumption, duel fuel bills could increase to £1,265 a year. Since the announcement the company has stated that another increase in the cost of electricity and gas will not occur again until August 2012 at least. Although the news comes as little comfort to the families now contemplating the idea of having to struggle to pay bills that are continuing to rise.

What are the alternatives to just accepting the rising cost of fuel for your home?

With the cost of electricity and gas rising, the return on investing in home-generated heating and electricity is greater than ever and thanks to the government's feed-in tariff there has never been a better time to invest in renewable home-energy generation. Solar panels in particular are a great option for homeowners with the money to invest.

Is it a good time to invest in solar panels?

Yes. Previously factors such as the amount of sunlight your roof gets or the amount of time you plan on spending in your current home could have put people off investing in solar panels, but thanks to advances in technology and an increase in the volume of sales the cost of installing solar panels has dramatically decreased. A solar panel installer commented that after being in the business for five years, the prices have been continuously decreasing: today a system of PV solar panels that cost £20,000 just two years ago would now cost £13,000. In addition inflation means that you get an even higher return through feed-in tariff payments, which works out at a guaranteed annual return of around 10% depending on how it is calculated.

Across the market the cost of installing solar panels is rapidly decreasing with reduced prices recorded in large UK solar companies such as Solarcentury and British Gas. On top of which the panels themselves are 10% more efficient so you get more for your money. Industry expert, Wondrausch, suggests that now is the time to invest in alternative electricity and hot water home generation, in particular solar panels. So whether or not the future of household energy looks sunny or expensive, the truth is becoming more and more apparent - renewable energy is the only future that will be sustainable - for the environment and for our purse strings.

Kieron Bolton, Director of propertyadviceblog.com invites you to visit our website to find UK Mortgage Brokers who can offer today's Best Buy mortgage products at the lowest possible rates. You can also compare over 5000 Conveyancing Solicitors, hundreds of Home Insurance providers and learn more about making your home energy efficient to save money on your Energy Bills. By visiting our site you'll receive a FREE copy of 'The Essential Property Ebook" together with Free impartial property Advice for all your property and real estate needs.

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Burried Alive

Hoarding is an old disease which is on the increase everywhere around the world.

Compulsive accumulation does not discriminate, it strikes rich and poor, thin or obese. There are people who live in houses worthy of millionaires, which they filled with objects from top to bottom. Compulsive accumulation has captured the imagination of many people in A certain Canadian city last September, while a low-rent high-rise building was devastated by fire. Reports have also revealed that the public health department of the City had already expressed its concerns about the building where the fire started and had even ordered the complete cleaning of 20 of those apartments in the same building because of fire hazard reasons.

What causes people to become Hoarders?

This behavior is known as an obsessive-compulsive disorder. The sufferer builds up and is unable to get rid of various objects, which among normal people, could be deemed unnecessary. Compulsive accumulation can interfere with the normal operation of a house you cannot prepare food in the kitchen, sleep in your bed or use your bath because they are literally filled with objects. Finally, the compulsive accumulation exposes the sufferer and his family into considerable emotional pressure. The problem may not bother the person who is affected; however, it can cause anxiety among people who live under the same roof. What is it that causes a certain person to fill her home from top to bottom with objects enough to render it unsafe and uninhabitable? There is no absolute answer to this question. The first researches on this condition started only about 10 years ago. The experts, however, identifies several possible causes, including an obsessive-compulsive disorder, a loss or deep mourning, or a misconception of the real value of things.

Some solutions.

Unfortunately, hoarders are rarely seeking help. They often have little awareness of their problem. The majority of them do not see any problems living in a house filled with objects from the cellar to the attic. Some may even feel shame, and even had to suffer the reproaches of their family members, who could no longer take it anymore, who criticized them and even moved elsewhere because they could no longer live under those conditions. More advertising to publicize the affective disorder, especially thanks to two reality shows helped bring the problem to light. It all helps to encourage people to call for help. A woman on one of those reality show had two young children, her house was a real fire hazard place and unfit for children to live in. She was told by authorities to clean up or her children would be taken away from her. Guess what! They removed her children from her and she decided to keep her objects and let the children go. (this is how deep this problem is for those affected people. No easy solutions to this problem. This is a hard thing to comprehend. Throwing any of their things away will breaks their hearts! They really need help, but most of the time will refuse help. For the family, its like being buried alive, your life is put on hold. That is why the name of one reality show is called Burried Alive. Professional organizers do not have all the experience necessary to help compulsive accumulators. Those who can know that it's not enough to empty the house, put everything away and make it livable or soluble. We need to see things differently, to obtain harm reduction. Not allow objects to land on the stove or in the bathtub and bring the site at a level of cleanness and safety that complies with certain standards.

Finding help.

Rid the place of these items usually causes an intense despair among those affected. The relatives of these people should also not attempt to put order in secret, without the main interested person knowledge. This approach can be incredibly traumatic for those affected and researched has revealed that it does not work, often a trauma like this can cause medical problems, physical or cause serious mental health problems. You cannot carry out surprise attacks. It is recommended to work with a professional organizer, together with a therapist, so that the person can receive psychological support to overcome his or her problem and also benefits from concrete help to put some order in his or her life. The people living with such a person must be supported also. We must help them to practice techniques to encourage the person who suffers from compulsive accumulation without rejecting that person.

Rodolphe Cote is a Canadian he is a free lance design draftsman who also wrote many internet articles about various subjects including an article about the 17 year emergence of cicadas an insect that most people do not know much about. He is now doing internet marketing. His website is Rudys Health Products

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Eco-Friendly School Shopping

"I would buy you a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils:" One of my favorite lines from a slightly-cheesy movie, You've Got Mail, due to the fact it highlights what used to be one of my favorite times of year. Yes, as an extremely nerdy child, the finish of summer brought a slight sense of sadness but also excitement over gathering up school supplies and finishing up my summer reading list (like I stated, I was a nerd!).

A huge distinction in shopping lists since my days at school is the emphasis on eco-friendliness. With a growing emphasis on environmental awareness in school curriculums (a lot of schools now have their own gardens!), it only makes sense that parents and students seek out "green" items for their back-to-school shopping.

And although your child could not attend school's as environmentally progressive as Bali's Green School, there are nonetheless plenty of factors to do to make back to school a green event:

Go back to school with bamboo! Investing in this sustainable resource is especially valuable for the college-bound as bamboo clothing and bamboo sheets are wrinkle-free possibilities that call for fewer washings than traditional fabrics. Think of all of the water and quarters saved!

Select an eco-friendly backpack and/or laptop bag. These goods are toxic-free, PVC-free, chlorine-free, carry no ozone-depleting chemicals and are clean to recycle.

Decide on your paper wisely. If you're lucky enough to attend a laptop-equipped school, then you're already saving reams of paper. However, if pen and pad are nonetheless necessary, make sure to purchase notebooks made from recycled paper (look for FSC certified paper if achievable). And keep your fingers crossed that one day soon, this eco-friendly rewritable paper is going to be widely accessible for students!

Even laptops have their drawbacks. Although they undoubtedly minimize waste, the trade-off is an increase in energy use. Make sure to turn off laptops when not in use to conserve energy and try your hardest to buy electronics from firms that implement green initiatives like Dell's commitment to use locally-sourced packaging for their goods.

Pack a smart lunch! Choose local and organic ingredients whenever you can and always use a reusable lunch box and water bottle. Take it one step further and use a bamboo water bottle from a company that purchases carbon offsets as part of their manufacturing process.

Is your school close? Whenever feasible, walk or bike together with your child to school. And while the large yellow bus might not seem the most eco-friendly, it's basically car-pooling for young children and will lessen the amount of cars en route to schools not to mention the number of idling vehicles waiting to drop youngsters off. Plus it is a great way for children to get to know one another, so if at all possible, head to the bus stop!

Go Solar! Think of how many batteries your child will go through with calculator usage for years of math classes, no matter whether they're calculating sums or just spelling out funny words on them. Obtain a solar-powered calculator for school and save a lot of money and waste!

Douglas Michaels Jr. writes educational articles for Green Earth News, the authority on everything Bamboo. For more information on Green School. Check out Green Earth Bamboo for bamboo sheets, bamboo clothing, duvet covers, towels and baby products, all made from the world's most sustainable and renewable resource on the planet.

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How to Equip Your Kids for a Day in the Sun

If you learn your children are going to be out in the sun for any length of time, I'm sure that you're going to be concerned about the exposure and what it can do to the health of your family. After all, many of us are concerned about the increase that is seen in skin cancer and other serious problems that occur as a result of overexposure to the sun. When you are going to be out and about in such a way, reach for the right type of clothing instead of for the sunscreen. Why is this so important?

First of all, the right type of clothing can provide the protection that is necessary from the sun for your children without making them uncomfortable. In fact, much of the swimwear and other clothing that is available can provide 50+ SPF protection without compromising the ability for your skin to breathe.

The different types of clothing that are available which can produce this effect includes hats, swimwear, active wear and almost any other clothing that could be worn out in the sun. There is also another reason that you may want to be concerned, however, about the type of protection that you were giving to your children.

Although it is not generally discussed, it is important for you to understand that if you're putting some type of sunscreen on your child, you are actually putting an unnatural chemical onto their skin. Although it may help to keep them from getting sunburned, there is also some speculation as to what these chemicals are doing to your child's skin as well. You certainly would not want to leave your child completely exposed to the sun, so that is why it is important to make sure that you are protecting them with clothing as much as possible. You may still need to use some sunscreen on occasion, but by providing the right type of sun protective clothing for them, you cut down on the amount of exposure that they have to sunscreen.

If you are going to the beach and plan on being active, it may also be to your benefit to get sun protective clothing that also has rash guard characteristics as well. There is nothing quite like the rash that is experienced when you go skidding across the sand after a wipeout. When you take a look around at some of the items that are available, it might surprise you with exactly how stylish they are while at the same time, giving you the protection that you need. These items can also be combined for babies with swim diapers, providing the ultimate in convenience when you are in the water.

It doesn't matter which family member you are trying to protect, one of the best things that you can do when they are going to be out in the sun is to get them UV clothing and make sure that they wear them. When you make the right choice in UV clothing, it is comfortable, breathable and can be worn all day long without any difficulty. Best yet, it will allow them to enjoy the outdoors without you having to worry about their health and the health of their skin.

Ethan Howekamp is the author of this article, and is always equipped with a rash guard and swim diapers when he takes his kids to the beach.

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From the Grocery Store to Your Home

Transporting your freshly purchased foods from a nearby grocery store or butcher shop is usually not a questionable issue under normal circumstances however what happens if you must drive an hour or two to reach your home with your purchase?

My wife and I often shop at the local military base with is about an hour's ride from our home. In the winter months this short distance may present no particular problems involving keeping our food in a safe and comfortable condition however during the summer season these various fresh or frozen meats can quickly deteriorate and spoil.

To prevent that from happening we have explored several solutions to the problem. The first and perhaps the least expensive remedy was to purchase a supply of thermal insulated bags to keep the cold products in a cold state until we reached home. Actually, in the middle of the blazing summer heat these are not bad items to take shopping with you even if going 15 minutes from home.

The second solution would be to employ a cooler similar to those used during the summertime to keep drinks cold. The only problem with this is that often frozen items do not fair well on the long trip home.

Several years ago we purchased a small cooler/refrigerator specifically to keep food cool during emergency trips in our BOV. Since our bug out vehicle was an SUV, it came equipped with a 12 volt outlet in the very back of the car where we would plug the cooler unit in. It was approximately the same size as most medium size coolers and had a switch to select either hot or cool temperatures.

One quick hint to try in cases such as these is several hours prior to going on your trip make what is known as freezer bricks. These are squares of ice that will maintain a cold cooler as you travel. After purchasing your food stack the freshly purchased foods between them to maintain the freezing process. If you do not have anything to make the bricks with try using plastic drink bottles or possibly Tupperware containers. I have used this technique years ago and it worked out fine. In a pinch you can even drink the frozen water from the bottles when it thaws out. They are great when you use those individual packs of drink mix to flavor them.

This idea is not only good for those times when you go shopping but also for when you are traveling for pleasure. By doing this the food will last you well into several days of your trip. You can also use gallon freezer bags to make blocks of ice which will extend the cold environment another 14 hours.

As a last solution you could place a slushy ice mixture in your cooler. If you decide to take this route be certain that all your foods are enclosed in air tight and waterproof containers. You don't want water getting into your cold foods.

Copyright @2011 Joseph Parish
http://www.survival-training.info/

For more information relating to survival visit us at http://www.survival-training.info/

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Remembering Loved Ones On All Soul's Day

First Recall

What usually comes into our minds when the month of November in the Philippines is approaching? Is it the long holidays? Travel? Family reunions? Or the memories of our departed love ones? All Saints Day celebrated every 1st of November and All Souls' Day a day after.

In this fast and 'instant' age where internet, communication gadgets and various events from the past month compete with our attention with family traditions and events, remembering our loved ones in the cemetery or memorial parks seemed quite a challenge nowadays. It really takes our precious time to spend in the place where the departed are laid to rest. More if your current location is far from where there are buried. It's either boring or time-consuming.

A Different Get-Together

Yesterday, November 1, All Saints Day my husband's immediate family members headed by my mother-in-law and siblings led the preparation in visiting her departed husband, their brother, nephew, grandmother, mother and even cousin-in-law all in one place which looked like a garden from a distance. We went there before lunch and from then on relatives begin to arrive and an instant reunion took place. Not to mention computer games and indoor games co-existed in the said event for the dead. Ironically in my mind there is not a bit of excitement staying in the cemetery. Worst, I am not in favor of staying even there for a short while in a place surrounded by tombs and graves.

Out of the laughter and the usual greetings, chats and updating of what's going on in the family affairs, I was tasked to take pictures of each love ones' tombs. I find it quite morbid and melancholic as I am used to taking lively and colorful photos before.

Bring to Mind Love Ones Who Went Ahead

Never did I realize that there was a deeper reason to be more than just taking pictures of tombstones. It's made me remember that these people once roamed the place where I am standing and now they're at least six feet below the ground locked in a cold and lonely cemented box. It is morbid to think about tombs anyway. But beyond the melancholy of it all, it made me think and remember that the very reason most of the people who are visiting the dead are not just there to pay a visit but it is a way of expressing their love despite of the reality that the very people they come to visit cannot and will not be able to interact and exchange greetings with them anymore. Such unconditional love that brings them back to visit their departed love ones, exerting efforts to even clean the tomb's surrounding even if the grass are more than six feet tall. Still the effort to beautify the place and even put flowers is there. That is on top of the usual scheduled family get together.

I passed by a lonely looking tomb without any usual decorations but a certain old woman sat and quietly stayed beside the grave. I don't know what was she thinking or contemplating but what I've understood was her act of love was louder more than any words she might have spoken from a distance. Something touched my heart witnessing the old woman sat beside her love ones' grave.

Insensitive To Remember

How insensitive I was. I even forget the memory of my own departed family members even. Was so selfish to think more of the convenience compared to even spare some time this time thinking and reminiscing how they loved and took care of me. I asked myself, what if I am in this place now. How will my children remember me at this time of the year? Will they have the time to recall or even visit my place of rest?

A radical person like me sometimes need to be reminded that there is a need to be deep-seated with family values especially in calling to mind people who were part of my life and who were instrumental in making who I am now. Honoring our departed loved ones is something that I need to teach my children as well. But what can I give if I don't have that mind set of remembering the people who went ahead of us? Remembering our loved ones is not only just remembering but it is a way to honor them.

After the quick self-assessment, I thank God for his love is everlasting...He gave me the opportunity to reset my mind set on the issue on remembering family members and friends who were once a blessing to me. How ungrateful I am, I realized. But thanks be to God, I was given another chance to change the way I think.

Choose To Honor

For this two-day experience of mine immersed in a place called cemetery, it did not only reminded me of the need to be grateful and thoughtful but was able to improve my selflessness attitude which is an essential of true love.

And most of all, was able to come across with the recollection of God's great love in unselfishly giving His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to die for me in the cross and gave me another chance to live a life full of blessings and unmerited favor. That I was once 'dead' spiritually and separated from His grace. That I was no different from the very departed loved ones but because of His love, God remembered me even before I came to this world.

Remembering to honor is respect. He's love for us and the need for us to love is worth remembering, day after day in our lives.

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Aging In Place: Accommodating Aging Parents

As our parents age we become the caregivers to them. With this new title we have certain responsibilities one of them being to help them in their quest to age in place. This requires us to go through their homes and to assess their needs. These needs will change as their health needs transform and it is our duty to help assist the remodels that are needed. Any home can be converted to meet the needs of aging adults. A remodel of this magnitude needs to be planned for and executed on a need basis. If your parents are able to age in place without the need of a wheelchair ramp then why would you expense this?

What accommodations can you look for as your parents continue to live in their own home to make sure their needs are met? What each aging in place remodeling job consist of will be dependent upon the mobility and needs of those it needs to provide for. Below is a list of remodeling suggestions that might come in to play as you plan for and begin your parent's age in place remodel.

1) Doorways should be able to accommodate items such as walkers, wheelchairs, canes and scooters. Doorways should be widened to at least thirty six inches, the average size of a wheelchair. The doorway floor space should be clear for at least four feet on either side for maneuverability. Doors should also have handles that make for easy entrance and exit. This allows for them to grasp on to the handle without having to apply pressure and turn it.

2) The house should be all on one floor for aging parents. Ranch style homes are more convenient for aging seniors. Then there is no need to worry about parents using the stairs if there aren't any. If stairs in their home is unavoidable look into stair chair lifts. This allows them to glide up the stairs with the use of a chair tat glides up and down the stairs.

3) All carpet should be redone with either hardwood or carpet with a short pile. This will allow for ease of mobility for wheelchairs, walkers and canes. Also eliminate thresholds leading in and out of all rooms. Many older people will tend to shuffle their feet and getting rid of thresholds eliminates the threat of tripping.

4) Bathrooms should either consist of a walk-in tub or a shower that does not contain a threshold. It is also important to add extra support so that hand rails can be used and braced properly. The bathroom should be ample in size to accommodate a walker or wheelchair. Facets should be considered for their ease of use and the water temperature should be adjusted to prevent scalding.

5) Kitchens have separate aging in place issues all together. Think about adding timers that are wired throughout the house for when the stove is on. Allow the stove to only be on for a certain allotted time before the timer buzzes. This will ensure that the stove does not get left on. If your parent is having a hard time getting around the kitchen area and providing meals hire someone to come in and cook and freeze meals that can be easily stored in the freezer and heated in a microwave. Another option is services such as meals on wheels which offer warm meals delivered to seniors in need.

6) Make sure closet accessories are lowered so that clothes can be easily accessed. Drawers should be on gliders with stops so that drawers are never accidentally pulled out on to someone.

As always are main concern is for our loved ones. We take their care personally and only want the best for them. Most aging in place seniors are set against moving into assisted living facilities until they absolutely cannot survive on their own any longer and even then are often resistant. These changes should be done gradually as this will help the senior in your life to adjust to the aging process and to their newly acquired special circumstances.

If you have enjoyed this article on aging in place remodeling from Kevin Germain at CPS visit our website http://www.glenmillerthehomedoctor.com/aging_in_place_remodeling.php today where you will find useful information on aging in place.

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How Confident Kids Can Raise Confident Adults

We all want children who believe they can do anything. Right? Youth is the time for dreams, a time to explore what the possibilities are, and they are endless! Kids haven't been deprogrammed like adults, so it's a perfect opportunity to watch and learn. Below I offer a four steps on "How Confident Kids Can Raise Confident Adults".

I like to think of myself as a confident person. I also like to challenge myself and grow: physically, mentally, and spiritually. Where do I find the motivation? In the following steps I can give you a few examples of how a 5 year old, a 2 year old, and a 1 year old have raised a more confident parent.

Step 1: Never think or say anything you don't want to come true, instead vocalize what you want to be true. As simple as this sounds, we often times do just the opposite. With news, the Internet, the media, etc. we find thousands of reasons to focus on what we are not or what we do not have. The middle of my confident kids taught me this while learning to swim. From day one, she knew she could swim! From day one, I would take off her safety vest and she would sink like a rock. She still tells herself she can swim, when I watch her, she sinks more slowly now. As long as she believes she can swim, who am I to tell her differently? She'll make it happen. No matter how deep you sink, if you tell yourself daily that you can make it to the top. One day you'll wake up and that's where you will be!

Step 2: Let fear be a motivator. Turn the channel on the critic in your head, as soon as you think you can't, do just the opposite. Until last year I had never been on a snowboard and skis only once. Until last year, my 5 year old had never been on either. So we went to the mountain together. After 45 minutes of solo lessons, she was ready to take the lift to the main slope. I had already talked myself into the bunny hill for the day. You know, I was doing it for her benefit. I helped justify my fear. She said she was nervous, but ready. Well that was motivation enough for me. We hit the slopes, collectively fell about 15 times by the time we reached the bottom. Then got back in line for the lift to the top, no longer fear, just fun! Recognize when you're letting fear take you out, use that as motivation to conquer it!

Step 3: Move with purpose. The only time I see people move with purpose anymore is when they are trying to make their connecting flight, darting from one terminal to the next with complete focus. You can even see it in their eyes, complete focus on the task at hand. How often do we move with purpose towards our goals? The youngest of my confident kids just learned to walk. She didn't do so with her head down, eyes to the ground, shoulders hunched, and slow steps. She took one step, then another, smile on her face, focused on where she was going. Find what your purpose is move toward it with clarity, head up, shoulders back, focus, and with confident steps. People will notice when you move with purpose.

Step 4: CELEBRATE! Give yourself credit for your success! This I learned myself by watching how we celebrate as a family. The first day of school, potty training, first words, trying new foods. You name it we celebrate it as a family. Yet, I noticed when I had personal accomplishments, won awards, made my first dollar with my business, my wife started her business, it was "Good job!" now onto the next goal. Recognize your accomplishments, no matter how small. Did you order coffee drink with clarity, and it tastes great?! Then confetti should be shooting out your ears! You don't know what small success will contribute to your overall gigantic successes, so get in the habit of celebrating, dance, cheer, and at the very least make the party so great in your head you can imagine confetti bursting out your ears.

Confident kids can raise confident adults if we take the time to notice. Follow these easy steps to improve your confidence and your flight won't leave without you!

Nick Lubbers is one half of The Minivan Millionaires. He and his wife Melissa are experts at making the transition to entrepreneurship while maintaining family balance. Nick brings over 15 years of top level corporate sales and management success, generating over $40M in revenue in 5 years, to the world of online business. It's these experiences that Nick brings to other parents in building an online business from the ground up, while creating focused family time in the process. Having 3 daughters all under the age of 6, helps him find balance, health, and wealth. Join him at The Minivan Millionaires http://theminivanmillionaires.com/

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Conceiving At The End Of The Month: Does This Produce A Boy Or A Girl Baby?

I sometimes hear from couples who are trying to gauge the right time of the month to try to conceive a girl or a boy baby. For whatever reason, many seem to see "the end of the month" as an optimal time. I often hear comments like: "if I have sex and conceive at the end of the month, will I get a girl or a boy baby? What date is best?"

The thing is, many that are asking the question actually mean different things. Sometimes, what they mean is conceiving at the end of the calendar month. So an example would be that they would be trying to conceive on August 31st or at the end of or last week of August (or any other month you want to use to fill in the blank.)

Other times, people are talking about the end of the month of their fertility or menstrual cycle. So they might mean at the end of their menstrual period or at the end of their fertility period (or when they believe that they have ovulated.) So, let's go over these scenarios one by one.

Conceiving at a certain time during a calendar month doesn't by itself make you more likely to conceive either gender. The reason for this is that the date of the calendar month doesn't have anything to do with when you've ovulated, whether the X or Y sperm fertilizes your egg, and what you've been eating. All of these things are very important and come into play, while the date on the calendar generally is not important and does not come into play.

Ultimately, the determining factor of whether you get a boy or a girl comes down to whether an X (girl) or Y (boy) fertilizes your egg. And the boy or girl producing sperm don't come out in greater numbers at the end of the month (or any other time during the calendar month.) They are in a roughly 50 / 50 ratio no matter what the calendar says.

However, the end of your menstrual or fertility month is an entirely different matter. The end of your menstrual cycle generally does not indicate ovulation or the ability to get pregnant. Most women have at least a week or more after the end of their period before ovulation is even possible. (Every women is different of course so this is not an absolute, but it's true for most women.)

Now, if you conceive at the end of your fertility cycle (which means you have sex and conceive after you've ovulated and your egg is ready to be fertilized) that does make you slightly more likely to conceive a boy because this timing is more favorable to the faster boy (Y) sperm that don't live as long. The Y's do better when you conceive later in the cycle because they don't have to wait for the egg (which is good if you want a son but not so good if you want a daughter.)

I hope this answered your question about conceiving late in the month. It often doesn't matter all that much whether it's the last week or the first week on the calendar. Ovulation can happen on any day of the month depending on the woman involved. And ovulation (as well as the optimal PH) are really the most important variables in choosing your baby's gender, no matter what the calendar says.

If you're still even a little confused, I've put together a couple of sites that walks you through this step by step. If you want a girl baby, check out http://conceive-a-girl-baby.com/ If you want a boy baby, check out http://conceive-a-boy-baby.com/

Sandy Dean enjoys telling couples what they can try to choose their baby's gender at home.

http://goarticles.com/article/Conceiving-At-The-End-Of-The-Month-Does-This-Produce-A-Boy-Or-A-Girl-Baby/5171690/

Pregnancy ?EUR" Its Inner Workings

Pregnancy is a condition of the female of the animal kingdom beginning at the time her egg cell is fertilized by a sperm cell until the formed foetus is developed enough for delivery through a birthing process.

Conception

Human pregnancy starts with the fertilization of the egg cell which is released from a woman's ovary (ovulation) every 28 days. The egg cell is viable for only 24 hours after its release. It is fertilized by a single sperm cell (viable for up to 6 days within the vaginal canal) from about a billion released in an ejaculation normally resulting from sexual arousal and intercourse. This union between the egg and sperm cells in the woman's fallopian tube is what we popularly term as conception. Most conceptions result from intercourse on the day of or 2 days before ovulation.

The Period of the Zygote

This period of prenatal development lasts for 2 weeks, from fertilization until the resulting cell mass drifts out of the fallopian tubes to attach itself firmly into the uterine wall which occurs from the 7th to the 9th day after conception.

The Period of the Embryo

The moment the zygote touches down on and implants itself in the uterine wall marks the beginning of the embryotic stage and lasts until the end of the 8th week of pregnancy. It is in these 6 weeks that the most rapid prenatal changes occur. The groundwork for all body structures and internal organs happen in this critical stage. It is in this phase that the embryo starts to move and respond to touch, especially in the areas of the mouth and on the soles of the feet.

The Period of the Foetus

The last leg of the pregnancy is the "growth and finishing" phase - the period of the foetus. Within the 12th week, the sex of the foetus can be determined using ultrasound. The mother starts to feel the movements of the foetus, having grown large enough, starting on the 13th week. By the end of the 24th week, the foetus can already be both stimulated and irritated by sounds and light. It is also within this stage (between the 22nd and 26th week), that the foetus can survive if born early. The brain takes great strides during the last 3 months of pregnancy, when the cerebral cortex enlarges and the foetus spends more time awake. At this point, it also becomes more responsive to external stimulation. In the last weeks, the foetus normally moves into an upside-down position in preparation for birth which ends the pregnancy.

To most of us, pregnancy is described by its external manifestation, that is, the swelling of the woman's belly. Little do we know about what really transpires inside that swollen belly. That is a wonder only the mighty but tender hands of God can create - the "manufacture" of the awesome human person.

Would you like to find out exactly how people like yourself have managed to get pregnant despite being told they couldn't?

http://goarticles.com/article/Pregnancy-Its-Inner-Workings/5173383/

How to Buy Washing Machine Parts

Most people have a washing machine and have experienced a break-down in that machine at some time or another. Very often it is not until something breaks down that we really appreciate the convenience the machine affords us. Having to wash clothes by hand like grandmother did will soon send you scurrying for the phone and the spare parts manufacturer for your machine.

It is not difficult to buy washing machine parts; however, it may be a little more difficult to pull that machine down and find out exactly what part is broken. If you are a true handyman, then this may not be anything to worry about, but for those who are not used to anything mechanical then it could pose a problem. The best thing to do is to get that repairman in to do the job and tell you what is needed.

Once you know what part you need you can then go ahead and buy it. This need not be difficult if you have a computer and Internet connection. There are many spare parts stores online; all you need is the name and model number of the part to order it and it will usually arrive on the doorstep within a few days.

You might be wondering if it is really worthwhile buying online as there is the freight to consider. But don't forget that your bricks and mortar stores also have to pay freight on the parts they get - and they then pass that cost on to you, as well as their other overheads. By buying parts online you can often get steep discounts as online stores do not have to pay staff or rent for a shop front. And often they will give you free freight if the cost of your purchase is over a certain amount.

When you go to buy anything online you have to make sure you choose a reputable site and one that has a return policy, just in case the goods you buy are not right. You will need to look for signs that your chosen online store is safe and secure with the payment pages encrypting your payment details. Look for the URL starting https; the s on the end means it is secure. Another way to tell is the padlock symbol on the bottom right of the page. And don't forget to read all the terms and conditions first.

You can also buy washing machine parts from a bricks and mortar store - if you can find one nearby. You will often have to end up ordering it at the store and then going back to collect it when it finally arrives, as many stores do not keep any but the most common parts now. They do this to reduce their own costs as it is no point them carrying a lot of parts that may well not be needed. They could sit on the shelf for years until that model appliance went out of date and then they would never get sold.

However you choose to buy parts, once you have the right part you may be able to install it yourself, or you may have to get that repairman back in to do the job.

Sid has a strong interest in the use of commercial laundry machines in business. He is also well trained in the service and repair of commercial laundry equipment.

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