8 Early Pregnancy Symptoms - How To Find Out If You Are Pregnant

5 Reasons to Organize Your Home Today Article Author: Karen Fritscher-Porter

Home organization isn't just for neat-nicks or those drawn toward organized living. Even if you don't fall into those two stereotypes, you should consider learning and implementing some home organizing techniques. Why bother? Here are five good reasons to organize your home: PEACE OF MIND - When you have a closet packed full of miscellaneous items, don't you sometimes think "I've got to put that on my to-do housekeeping list"? Or you think "I've got to go through that closet to find those missing papers, shoes, whatever." And then when you don't do it, you get a nasty reminder every time you open that closet door. Now multiply that scenario and thought pattern by the number of other areas in your home that give you that same feeling. When it's visible, clutter weighs on your mind because you can't forget about it. It's there every time you open the closet door! So getting organized once and for all could decrease your stress levels by putting your mind more at ease. MORE TIME - Home organization means less time spent searching for things. You can find what you want now, not in 15 minutes, an hour or perhaps never. Being able to find your ski jacket instantly means 15 more minutes of skiing time. That sure sounds like a lot more fun than spending those 15 minutes searching through your closet for a warm jacket. ANSWER FEWER QUESTIONS - Where are my shoes? Where is my purse or wallet? Have you seen my keys? Where's my backpack? I'm late! Have you seen my brown sweater? If all family members know the home organization system, then they know where to find their stuff without asking you. But even if they don't, at least you can answer their questions quicker and without stopping what you're doing to help them search. SAVE MONEY - How many spatulas and wooden spoons do you have in your kitchen? What about screw drivers or other hand tools? Do you have duplicate items because you forgot you already had one? Ever bought the same book or magazine twice because the ones you had weren't visible in that huge pile? Home organization means fewer purchases of duplicate items by everyone in the household. You won't come home with another something you already have because you forgot where you put the first one. And neither will your spouse because he didn't know your family had one in the first place. IT'LL LOOK GREAT - A good home organization system implemented with some surface cleaning (for example, dusting and vacuuming the common areas) often gives guests a great first impression of your home. They see the exterior of the shell, a view that says "neat and clean"---even if a true "finger test" in an obscure location would spill some dirty secrets (like dust). If you enjoy entertaining in your home, then this is probably the best reason to organize your home. In fact, throwing a party can be both your incentive and your reward to start organizing your home today. About the Author Karen Fritscher-Porter writes about how to organize your home at www.EasyHomeOrganizing.com. Visit www.EasyHomeOrganizing.com to read more than 50 FREE articles containing dozens of ideas and solutions to help you organize your home. Plus subscribe to the FREE newsletter updating you about the latest home organization products sold in stores

5 Parenting Trends That Affect How We Communicate About Childcare Article Author: Aruni Gunasegaram

In the old days a mom would get advice and tips through the network of family members and friends who more likely than not were in the same town or village and within a short distance from her. With families and friends being spread across the country and the world, moms are now using the Internet to bring back aspects of that network. As moms rely on the Internet for information, they are also looking to the Internet for ways to share and manage their busy lives. Here are some of the trends I see with regards to moms using the Internet when it comes to childcare.1. Since word-of-mouth from other moms is the greatest influencer on a moms purchasing decision, she is turning to Internet forums and baby-related sites such as BabyCenter and iVillage to ask questions, seek out answers, and look at product reviews.2. Many women who wait until they are older to have children are experiencing higher instances of multiple and premature births. They tend to be more concerned when having to make the decision to leave their baby in the hands of a nanny or other caregiver. They want to know what is happening to their baby and they want to know as quickly and easily as possible.3. Many moms are busier than ever and often dont have time to think in between working and trying to get sleep so they seek out tools that will help them with baby care decisions. They have less time than in the past to deal with these problems and are therefore looking for quick and effective ways to get the information or advice they need to handle their unique situations.4. Many moms are returning back to work earlier but want to continue breastfeeding and want to know how their baby is doing during the day. They are hiring baby nurses and pumping at work. This means that keeping track of how much she pumped, when her baby ate, or how much her baby ate as well as who did what and when becomes critically important in order to ensure the proper nutrition and health of her baby. 5. More and more moms are finding and hiring nannies over the Internet and nannies and nanny agencies are reaching out to moms via the Internet as well. Nannies are given access to and are using the Internet at their clients home and are using it to do their jobs better, check their email, and communicate with their peers. Nannies and moms are also spending more and more time communicating by cell phone and email in order to schedule visits and coordinate other childcare activities.Some changes take a long time and many seem to happen overnight. Since the beginning of humanity we have taken care of our children but the ways we take care of them has changed drastically with the introduction of diapers, formula, baby safety related items, and most recently the Internet. Who would have thought that over 36.6 million moms in the US will be regular Internet users in 2010? (source: eMarketer.com). The Internet enables her to do research so she can be a better-informed parent and a savvier consumer (51% of the moms surveyed say the Internet changed the way they get information about products and services) and allows her to network with other moms, as well. The overall trend is clear: more and more moms are using the Internet to communicate with each other and to get the information they need to take care of their babies. Nannies and nanny agencies are participating as well and are using the Internet to reach out to moms and their employees. With families spreading out and moms finding it hard to get the one-on-one face time with baby, family, and friends, the Internet is stepping in. It is a tool that is helping make parenthood easier and bringing back some of the familial and social relationships that are so important in helping parents raise healthy children in a safe environment. The more things change, the more they stay the same. The tools we use to aid in childcare are different now, but the goal of safety, health, and love are still the same. Are you ready to embrace the change?sThe author of this article, Aruni Gunasegaram, is the President/Founder of Babble Soft, which offers web and mobile software applications that facilitate communication between caregivers by helping them to keep track of breastfeeding and bottle feedings, moms pumping, baby sleep patterns, diapers, immunizations and medicine doses as well as baby's first year photo album.sFor more information visit: http://www.babblesoft.com

5 Great New Fashion Trends for Women Article Author: Donna Monday

Here's a quick look at some of the new trends in women's fashion. The overall trend is chick and ladylike. Liven up your wardrobe by adding a few of these pieces. Brooches Your great grandmother probably wore these in her day. Now brooches have made a stunning come back. The most popular brooches you'll see are large and flowery, with that vintage look. They look great with any kind of jacket. Camisoles Wearing a pretty camisole under a suit jacket is very chic and adds the perfect touch of feminine glamour to your work wardrobe. You can also pair a camisole with a pair of jeans with heels for a sexy casual look. Cropped and Fitted Jackets Jackets and blazers are more popular than ever and go with a variety of outfits. The new fitted style shows off your curves. Fringe is also another accent popping up on boucle blazers. Lots of new color options will give you more ways to mix and match. Faux Fur Enjoy the luxurious look and feel of fur without harming any of our furry friends. Not only are the new faux fur coats magnificent, but you'll find faux fur used as accents on sweaters, hats, and gloves. Prints Polka dots, stripes, flowers, and paisley prints are popping up on all kinds of clothing items. Prints are a great way to compliment a neutral colored top or bottom, plus they're fun! About the Author Copyright 2005Donna MondayFind the hottest looks in plus size fashion - discounts, bargains and more! http://www.plus-size-appeal.com

5 essentials for life Article Author: Tony Wilden

5 ESSENTIALS FOR LIFE When mind/body/spirit are out of balance we become ill ... dis-eased. How can we rebalance our energy and live life to the full ? The ability to really relax is of utmost importance in our quest for health as when we are calm and relaxed we are free from stress. It then becomes much easier to concentrate, focus and achieve our goals. If we liberate our natural talents and go with the flow, we will have unlimited energy. A simple path to health must be found and the 5 essentials for life will give YOU the tools necessary to completely change your life for the better. AIR The moment we cease to breathe, the physical body begins to decay. Breathing PURE air is therefore the basic root of existence, and as such must have prime consideration in any problem of health. Through the air we breathe we gain vital life force to promote healing. It is surprising we don't give more attention to the QUALITY of the air we breathe. WATER Most of the planet is covered with water and the human body is 75% water, so it is easy to see how vital pure water is for life. Every living cell requires water, air and nutrients. Water acts as a solvent in the body and the purer it is, free from pollutants and chemicals, the more toxins can be let into it for removal. How pure is your water ? NUTRITION Today after a brief detour into science and inorganic medicines, humankind is once again being directed to the proper use of Nature's products to restore to abundant health a dis-ease ridden world. What we eat is directly related to how we think, feel and act. We ARE what we eat ! One of the secrets to recharge your energy to gradually introduce raw organic fruit and vegetables to your diet. EXERCISE Everyone should take some exercise on a daily basis as part of a healthy lifestyle. Exercise is a process by which the cells of the body are placed under controlled stress. This stimulates metabolic efficiency as well as to increase vigour, strength and vitality. Research at NASA states that rebounding is THE complete exercise. SLEEP AND RELAXATION Most of us counteract the benefits of sleep and relaxation, soft mattresses, television, eating before retiring etc. If we are using energy for digestion or processing thoughts, we are not using it to repair and recharge our vital life force. Rest and relaxation CAN be gained by lying immobile without sleeping, we sleep apparently to dream. AUTHOR Tony Wilden has a deep interest in spiritual matters, health and environmental issues and the creation of harmony between people and nature. YOU can use master strategies to achieve your success. For more information on his work visit : http://www.aikido-health.com Tony Wilden has a deep interest in spiritual matters, health and environmental issues and the creation of harmony between people and nature. YOU can use master strategies to achieve your success. For more information on his work visit : http://www.aikido-health.com

5 Crucial Questions That Can Change Your Life Article Author: Kathy Gates

Ever feel like you're stuck in a mud hole on the Road to Happiness? Ask yourself these crucial questions and see where you can shore up your spinning tires. 1. Time: How do you spend your time? Is it wasted time, or refreshing time? Does it take your toward your goals, or away from them? Are you consciously spending time, or just letting it happen? It's an age- old proverb, but every single person get the same number of hours each day, week, month, year. Write down how you currently spend your days, your week. Include sleep time, grooming time, wasted time, relaxing time, work time, etc. Be as specific as you can. You'll quickly see if you're spending your time where you WANT to spend it or not. 2. Environment: What is no longer working for you in your space, your immediate environment? Are there broken appliances or outdated equipment? Are there unfinished projects that were important at one time, but no longer intrigue you? When you look around, does your environment make you feel good? Make you smile? Research shows that your environment has a big impact on the way you feel. Color and lighting can improve your mood. Changing the direction your desk faces can give you a different perspective. You don't have to spend a fortune to make some small yet dramatic changes. Add color to your walls with some paintings. A fresh coat of paint can give you a fresh beginning. Add humor by using things that make you smile. Throw out clutter and focus on finding organizing solutions. 3. Relationships: Do the people in your life support you and your goals? Are you proud to introduce them to others? Do you learn from them? "Nothing worth doing is worth doing alone" is a quote from Thomas Leonard in his book "The Portable Coach". As you've probably noticed, you don't live in a vacuum - whatever you do affects other people, and what they do affects you. While you CANNOT change other people, you can set up your life so that the people closest to you provide support and encouragement. Create reciprocal, healthy relationships, such as working with other people who want the same changes that you do, or who you can support in their own activities. 4. Thoughts/Self-Talk: Do you talk to yourself like your best friend, acknowledging the wrongs, but supporting change? Or do you talk to yourself like the neighbor you despise? Do your thoughts inspire and motivate you, or hold you back from your best self? As scary as this thought (pardon the pun) may be, you are living right now what you think. Everything begins with your thoughts. "Be careful of your thoughts, for your thoughts become your words. Be careful of your words, for your words become your actions. Be careful of your actions, for your actions become your habits. Be careful of your habits, for your habits become your character. Be careful of your character, for your character becomes your destiny." -- Author Unknown 5. Work: Do you feel fulfilled and happy about your work, whether that's a domestic engineer or a CEO? Or do you dread doing the work, and just count the minutes until time off? We've all been overly influenced by shoulds, oughtas and have-to's. So much so that what you want truly want in life, what would truly make you happy, may be suppressed WAY down deep. Remember things that you enjoyed as a child or young adult, and ask yourself why you don't do them anymore. Ask yourself if you had 1 minute with all the world's attention, what message would like to give them. These clues help you know what your purpose is in life, and what would make you feel most proud, happy, and fulfilled. Kathy Gates, Professional Life Coach, believes that "Life Rewards Action". She can help you create goals, overcome procrastination, organize your time and money, find your true passion, and learn to love the real you. Visit www.reallifecoach.com, email Kathy@reallifecoach.com, or call 480.998.5843

5 Best Free Child Games for Your Preschooler Article Author: Nicole O'Reilly

There seems to be more and more pressure on parents these days to enrol their pre school children in all sorts of innovative learning programs. There are music and swimming classes, craft centres and activities to promote movement, motor skills or sporting ability. Did you know some of the best learning tools for your kids are right at your fingertips, literally! We as parents are the primary carers and therefore the first teachers of our children before they start school. Without all the classes and activities that we could pay for them to do, just playing simple free child games, your kids will get all the stimulation and encouragement that they need to get the best start. By providing them with an enriched environment with free activities based around your home and neighbourhood you will get more quality time with your children while enhancing their imagination and creativity. Top 5 Free Child Games / Activities- Indoors 1. Storytelling- Telling stories to children promotes language, listening skills and imagination. Don't feel confined to reading from books, tell your children a special family story that helps them to know their place in the world. How mum and dad met, how great grandpa sailed in a tall-ship to start a new life in a new country, or the story of their birth. These tales will delight them time and time again, perhaps you have photos to help them put faces to names. 2. Dressing Up- As children the dress-ups box was always our favorite treasure trove for creating characters for a play or story. Pretending to be dinosaurs, truck drivers, doctors, zoo keepers or even mum can keep children entertained for hours. The more props the better so always have a store of blankets for cubbies or tents and assorted boxes for cars, dolls beds or wherever their imagination takes them. 3. Music- Children love a chance to dance and jump around. By the age of three they will already have some favorites which will probably have actions to match. Given the opportunity to march, stomp, clap or any other loud action will be happily accompanied by any musical instruments that you have around the house. If you don't have any, a pot and wooden spoon will do just fine! 4. Craft- By using recycled materials you just need some glue, a little inspiration, and your child's creativity will do the rest. Materials can be used to create collages, space rockets, animals and a whole lot more. Keep a ready supply of recyclables by keeping cereal boxes, toilet rolls, candy wrappers, magazines and yoghurt containers. Other crafty ideas can involve play dough, paint, crayons, chalk and modelling clay! The ideas are endless. 5. Board Games and Card Games- Fun for the whole family or just two bored kids looking for something to do on a rainy day. For younger children these games help them with numerical skills, taking turns and gamesmanship, as well as the concept of chance and that anyone can win the game. Super for holidays as they are easy to set up and can last for hours. There are many card games to learn from easy kids games right up complicated ones for teenagers and adults. Best of all, the only equipment needed is a deck of cards. Board games like Scrabble and Monopoly have been played for generations and will continue to be, unless everything becomes computerised! Most of these activities will be known to you, but have you played them all? If not, then get out there and enjoy some free child games with your tribe, they'll love you all the more for spending some one on one time with them. About the Author Nicole is the webmaster of Kids Fun and Games and mother to two children under the age of six. She is currently enjoying the journey of building her first website, designed for the parents of pre-schoolers. Enjoy! Find us at www.kids-fun-and-games.com

40 Unique Gift Ideas Article Author: Jason Richards

Giving unique gifts at Christmas does not have to break the bank. These are some of my favorite unique gift ideas. Each of these can be made or bought for under $10. Check your shopping list and begin finding a unique gift for each of them. They will thank you and so will your bank account. No matter what the occasion you will find a unique gift idea to suit your purpose. These will make unique gifts for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Christmas presents, birthdays, anniversaries, baby showers, and pretty much any event that calls for a bargain priced gift idea. It has been said many times that a thoughtful gift is often more appreciated than an expensive one. Our friends and family enjoy seeing that we took the time and poured our love into a well intentioned gift. 40 Unique Gift Ideas 1. Unique glass candy dish filled with candy. 2. Collectible sports cards 3. Books check for clearance books or online for deals. 4. Personalized Set of dish cloths and dish towels. 5. Basket filled with kitchen gadgets and time savers. 6. Gift certificates for free movie or video game rentals. 7. Handwritten copies of your favorite recipes. 8. For the pets, doggy bones, catnip balls, should do nicely. 9. Gift Certificates for their favorite restaurant.10. Hand decorated keepsake box for their little treasures.11. Designer sticky notes with colorful designs.12. Personalized Address book with their name written on it.13. Serving bowl or platter with a holiday theme.14. Decorative basket with jams, bbq sauces, mustards, etc.15. Themed Cloth Napkins and Napkin holders.16. Flower seeds, or a small plant, throw in gloves for a complete package.17. Personalized and hand decorated photo album.18. Old fashioned cookie mix with baking instructions.19. Unique coffee cup filled with candy.20. Fancy magazines tied together with a pretty ribbon.21. Gourmet popcorn in a unique holiday canister.22. Homemade barbeque or steak sauce with basting brush.23. Movie theater gift certificates.24. Board games like Monopoly, Clue, Scrabble, etc.25. Personalized note cards and a book of stamps.26. Picture frames check the clearance bins for deals!27. A unique cookbook with colorful recipes and pictures.28. Christmas ornaments, use your imagination on this one.29. Puzzles or even put one together and glue it, then have it framed. Instant artwork!30. Create a video or cassette recording telling them how much you love them.31. Put a small emergency kit together for the kitchen, or the car.32. Favorite proverb or saying sewn into a pillow or wall hanging.33. Basket with decorative soaps, bath salts, and a puff.34. Personalized coffee mug, with gourmet coffee.35. Take a child's artwork and place it in a unique frame.36. Create your own Cocoa mix and place it a decorative canister.37. Create a collage using photos having sentimental value.38. Fancy Pen & Pencil set with designer stationary.39. Home Baked Amish bread, include a complete recipe.40. A simple Fruit basket with Crackers and fine cheeses. Hopefully this short list of unique gift ideas spurred your imagination to think of inexpensive but unique gift ideas you can give to your friends and family in the future. Just think you can use the savings to go on that vacation you always dreamed about. About the Author Jason Richards is the owner of BargainBooths.com(http://store.bargainbooths.com) a bargain gift store that offers thousands of quality gifts both online and through the use of mail order catalogs. He has been in the gift business for the past 7 years.

40 Unique Gift Ideas Article Author: Jason Richards

Giving unique gifts at Christmas does not have to break the bank. These are some of my favorite unique gift ideas. Each of these can be made or bought for under $10. Check your shopping list and begin finding a unique gift for each of them. They will thank you and so will your bank account. No matter what the occasion you will find a unique gift idea to suit your purpose. These will make unique gifts for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Christmas presents, birthdays, anniversaries, baby showers, and pretty much any event that calls for a bargain priced gift idea. It has been said many times that a thoughtful gift is often more appreciated than an expensive one. Our friends and family enjoy seeing that we took the time and poured our love into a well intentioned gift. 40 Unique Gift Ideas 1. Unique glass candy dish filled with candy. 2. Collectible sports cards 3. Books check for clearance books or online for deals. 4. Personalized Set of dish cloths and dish towels. 5. Basket filled with kitchen gadgets and time savers. 6. Gift certificates for free movie or video game rentals. 7. Handwritten copies of your favorite recipes. 8. For the pets, doggy bones, catnip balls, should do nicely. 9. Gift Certificates for their favorite restaurant.10. Hand decorated keepsake box for their little treasures.11. Designer sticky notes with colorful designs.12. Personalized Address book with their name written on it.13. Serving bowl or platter with a holiday theme.14. Decorative basket with jams, bbq sauces, mustards, etc.15. Themed Cloth Napkins and Napkin holders.16. Flower seeds, or a small plant, throw in gloves for a complete package.17. Personalized and hand decorated photo album.18. Old fashioned cookie mix with baking instructions.19. Unique coffee cup filled with candy.20. Fancy magazines tied together with a pretty ribbon.21. Gourmet popcorn in a unique holiday canister.22. Homemade barbeque or steak sauce with basting brush.23. Movie theater gift certificates.24. Board games like Monopoly, Clue, Scrabble, etc.25. Personalized note cards and a book of stamps.26. Picture frames check the clearance bins for deals!27. A unique cookbook with colorful recipes and pictures.28. Christmas ornaments, use your imagination on this one.29. Puzzles or even put one together and glue it, then have it framed. Instant artwork!30. Create a video or cassette recording telling them how much you love them.31. Put a small emergency kit together for the kitchen, or the car.32. Favorite proverb or saying sewn into a pillow or wall hanging.33. Basket with decorative soaps, bath salts, and a puff.34. Personalized coffee mug, with gourmet coffee.35. Take a child's artwork and place it in a unique frame.36. Create your own Cocoa mix and place it a decorative canister.37. Create a collage using photos having sentimental value.38. Fancy Pen & Pencil set with designer stationary.39. Home Baked Amish bread, include a complete recipe.40. A simple Fruit basket with Crackers and fine cheeses. Hopefully this short list of unique gift ideas spurred your imagination to think of inexpensive but unique gift ideas you can give to your friends and family in the future. Just think you can use the savings to go on that vacation you always dreamed about. About the Author Jason Richards is the owner of BargainBooths.com(http://store.bargainbooths.com) a bargain gift store that offers thousands of quality gifts both online and through the use of mail order catalogs. He has been in the gift business for the past 7 years.

4 Things You Shouldn't Do When You're Buying A Home Article Author: Suvadip Das

1. Don't Make a Major Purchase You've just found out your credit is A . That's great news, because a new car would look fantastic in the driveway of your new home. But hang on--if you are depending on a mortgage to move in, you'd best wait until after closing to buy the car. An increase in your debt to income ratio reduces the amount of monthly income available for your mortgage payment. If you tack on a higher car payment, the bank might decide you cannot afford the home. Using cash to purchase the car could also create a problem, since banks consider cash reserves when approving your mortgage. If you make a major purchase before closing, talk to your loan officer before you do it. 2. Don't Change Jobs Unless It's Necessary Lenders like to see a consistent job history. They aren't usually as nervous if you change jobs within the same field, but it's better to stay put until the keys to the house are in your hand. 3. Don't Give an Earnest Money Deposit Directly to a For Sale By Owner Seller Your good faith deposit should go into a trust account. Some for sale by owner sellers don't understand that funds are to be applied to your expenses at closing. There are incidents about sellers who spent the deposit money prior to closing. When the transactions didn't take place for valid reasons--such as financing or repair issues, the buyers had to fight for a refund. Find an attorney or other neutral party who will hold the deposit for you until closing day and make sure your contract dictates what happens to the funds if the transaction doesn't close. 4. Don't Let Your Emotions Take Over Keep a cool head during the entire home buying process, especially during and after an inspection. Be realistic. No home is perfect, especially older homes. It's not unusual for new owners to take care of some repairs themselves. Don't let the seller's refusal to do a small repair kill the deal on a home you truly love. On the other hand, don't fall so much in love with the house that you'll buy no matter what needs to be done--unless you're absolutely sure you can handle it emotionally and financially. Decide what type of repairs you can realistically tackle, then stick with the decision.   About The Author Suvadip Das is a research fellow in management and a web developer. Web design including keyword enriched articles is his passion. He works for Freelance Writer Organization and various websites including http://www.super-mortgages.com - More information on similar topics can be found at http://www.super-mortgages.com/First-Time-Home-Buyer and http://www.super-mortgages.com/Residential-Mortgage-Loans. gokhan_karahan@yahoo.com

Secret Ways to Stop Procrastinating Article Author: Peter Murphy

4 Secret Ways to Stop Procrastinating by Peter Murphy Ever wonder how to stop procrastinating? Here is a good example... I was recently talking with a friend who said, "You know, I need to have guests over to my house more often." "Why is that?" I asked. "Because that seems to be the only time I really clean my house," she responded. Isn't that the truth! Deadlines and commitments have a wonderful way of forcing us to get things done which have to be done. It is easy to procrastinate about doing something when there is no one to hold you accountable. Think about it! You may be the worst procrastinator on earth about certain things like housework or dreaded work projects but chances are you file your tax return on time ever year. This is because the federal government has placed a deadline on filing tax returns and they hold us accountable if they are not done. If you want to stop procrastinating in your life try setting yourself deadlines for projects you have been putting off and finding ways to hold yourself accountable for meeting these deadlines. Here are some ideas of how you can use this strategy to stop procrastinating at home and in your work. 1. Write it Down. The act of simply deciding when you plan to complete a task and writing it down on your calendar can be very effective in creating a sense of a deadline. 2. Schedule something that forces you to take action. For example, invite guests over to your house. If you have been putting off cleaning the house this will force you to clean and put things in order. Another example, might be if you have been putting off visiting someone you know you should visit then give that person a call and let them know you will be visiting on a particular day. Once you have made this commitment it will likely be more difficult to not follow through. Simply by putting this person on notice of a visit will create a deadline with accountability. 3. Put someone on notice that a project will be completed on a particular date. If there is a project at work that you have been procrastinating about. Send your boss a note telling him or her that they can expect the project on a certain date. This will create a deadline for you and your boss will likely hold you accountable by asking for the project if in fact it is not delivered by the date you promised it. 4. Leave yourself no way out. Leaving yourself no way out is in a sense burning the bridge behind you so that you have no choice but to complete a task which you have been putting off. If for instance, you need to buy a new vacuum because the old one has had it. You have the money saved for the new one but you have just been putting off going shopping for one. Burn the bridges behind you. Give your old appliance away to a local thrift shop. Then you have no choice but to buy that new one. You can put a stop to procrastination by simply setting yourself deadlines and holding yourself or having someone else hold you accountable. Peter Murphy is a peak performance expert. He recently produced a very popular free report, the 5 Step Motivation Report. Apply now because it is available for a limited time only at: http://www.getmotivatedstaymotivated.com/special.htm

4 Keys To Sharing Intimacy Article Author: Conrad L. Jones

Why do we even care to share our hearts, feelings, thoughts and lives with someone we care deeply about? Why do I want so badly to intimately share myself with thies person? Know what? That's a question that I've often asked myself a number of times. I feel that we do this simply because we want the object of our affection to respond to us in that same manner. We give and share our love with them simply because deep down inside our hearts, we crave their love, admiration and affection in return. Everybody wants to feel loved and admired! And I feel that there is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to receive love in return for giving it. Now while I'm no expert but merely a student in giving and receiving love, let me share some personal view-points from my experiences about sharing intimately. Why Are No Experts On This Subject?? P.S. I feel there aren't any experts simply because the expression of love takes so many forms and because we're all different and give and receive differently, that one could not possibly understand all love's ways but we are all constantly learning new ones everyday. So, we are all students of love. Now where was I? Oh yeah, we were talking about intimate sharing right? Good, let's continue! Open Emotions?? Intimate Sharing is all about communicating in your relationships with open emotions and honesty which never passes judgment on your partner or mate. Please understand that emotions are neither good nor bad, moral nor immoral but like a knife, can be used to cook or kill. In other words, how you display or manage your emotions can be good or bad. In this kind of sharing, you seek to express yourself to the other person in ways that they not only understand the meaning of your words, but also understand what you mean by what you don't say - body language. Okay, so sharing intimately involves sharing feeling, thoughts, ideas, fears, wishes etc; It is truly about sharing who we really are with the person we care deeply about who feels the same way about us, so, here's where to begin. 4 Keys Key #1 - Begin by sitting down together and honestly looking at the different areas you both share in or would like to start being more open with such as; feelings, thoughts, fears etc. Both people need to become involve if you want to make any lasting change. Key #2 - Next, make a mutual agreement to never pass judgment on each other when they begin opening up and expressing their thoughts, ideas etc. This means that you stop telling each other their feelings, fears etc about various things is stupid, foolish etc; just accept that this is how they feel. If you do begin passing judgment, your partner will revert to not opening up and you'll both end up back where you started. Key #3 - The easiest area I've personally found to begin with is my wishes. You may start in any one you wish but just start somewhere. Remember that this will take time and effort so be prepared to work with each other. Never mind the days when it seems your partner has reverted back to being the strong silent type, sometimes as people we just don't want to talk about a certain situation at that moment but when we feel more comfortable, will express ourselves. Key #4 - Also remember that we express ourselves to those who don't make us feel silly and who we are comfortable sharing with. The best thing you can do is create an environment where you partner feels comfortable talking to you and enjoy sharing. Watch your attitude and body language! We often can sense when others aren't listening or care about what we say.   About The Author Conrad L.Jones is CEO of "KPS Publishing Inc", an organization created to educate, motivate, and equip people working to improve their lives in areas of Godly living, personal finance, relationships, self-improvement and healthy lifestyles. To read more of his articles go to his site www.relationship-helps-and-advice.com.

4 Great Diet Tips Article Author: Jeannie Crabtree

4 Great Diet Tips By Jeannie Crabtree http://www.smartweightlossplan.com Here are 4 diet tips we all need reminded of from time to time. Diet Tip 1: Never eat standing up. Mom was right. Sit down and eat your food! Never eat standing up. One of the easiest ways to sabotage your diet is to 'eat without thinking'. Fix yourself a plate. Sit down and eat properly. You'll be less likely to just pop food into your mouth without paying attention. Diet Tip 2: Fluids Drinking plain water is always top choice on a diet. You can also drink flavored water instead of soda. Soda is nothing but empty calories. No nutrients, lots of sugar. Instead, grab a bottle of water flavored with a spritz of fruit. Drink water. Even the FDA recommends at least 8 full 8 ounce glasses of water a day to keep your body working right. When you're dieting, you should drink even more. It's not just that full feeling - water helps your body digest foods properly, cleans out your system and hydrates you. Many people are a little dehydrated part of the time. Diet Tip 3: Skip High Fat Foods and Snacks Skip the fatty snacks fried in hydrogenated oil like potato chips and french fries. These kind of snacks contribute fat and calories and not much else. Foods like this are a no no on a diet. Instead, grab a handful of dried fruit or a cup of yogurt for the same amount of calories and a lot more nutritional benefit. You want to upgrade your diet in general. Diet Tip 4: Yes, You Need Exercise Can't afford a gym membership? Make an agreement with friends or family to exercise together. Make a date at least three times a week to play volleyball, take a walk or spend half an hour doing something active. You will draw closer to your friends and family, while burning off excess weight. Pretty soon every one will notice your weight loss. __________________________ Article by Jeannie Crabtree. Visit her site for weight loss diets, weight loss plans and exercise equipment.

30 Quick and Easy Kids Costumes Article Author: Patricia B. Jensen

What happened to the " good ol' days" when a Halloween costume was your Dad's old shirt and cap, and a burnt cork beard? Kids costumes don't have to complicated to be cute! Each of these quick and easy costumes starts with a few simple materials like hooded sweatshirts, sweat pants, posterboard, craft foam, felt, face paint, and a little imagination.   Pirate   Black sweats, white shirt, red sash and bandanna, cardboard sword covered in foil, parrot beanie baby, stubbly face made with burnt cork or tobacco sprinkled on vaseline covered cheeks   Kid Hit by Lightning   Gray sweats with large yellow felt zigzag pinned to the back, blackened zigzag tears in here and there on suit, hair gelled to stand straight up, burns on cheeks   Wrapped Present   Cover a large box with colorful wrapping paper. Make a hole in the bottom and invert over child's head. Add lots of matching ribbons in child's hair.   Pair of Dice   Paint two large boxes white and add black dots on each side to represent a pair of dice. Cut hole in bottom and invert over children's heads. You need a friend for this one!   Box of Popcorn   Cover a large box with white butcher paper. Add wide red stripes with markers or colored paper. Make a hole for child's head. Hot glue some popcorn to the top of the box. Wear red or white tights or sweat pants.   Placard Costumes   Another quick and easy idea for kid costumes is a "placard costume" in which the child wears a hooded sweatshirt and pulls front and back cardboard panels (the placard) on over it. Shape the placard (poster board works fine) as needed for the costume desired, and design it with markers or felt pieces. This type of costume can be adapted to many different themes, such as:   Ladybug   M & M (two kids of different heights can be "plain" and "peanut"!)   Soccerball, Basketball, or Baseball   Apple or Pumpkin   Deck of Cards   Favorite Book   Sunflower   Yellow sweat suit. Staple craft foam flower petals end to end onto a wide ribbon and tie around child's face to make the flower. Paint the face reddish brown with black spots. Make a couple of bright green leaves from craft foam and pin side by side onto front of sweat suit.   Bunch of Grapes   Start with a purple sweat suit. Blow up several purple balloons to the same size and attach to the sweat suit with small safety pins. Complete the look with a green knit cap with a couple of large green felt leaves attached.   Bag of Trash   Make two leg holes is a large sized trash bag. Have child step into the bag, then add balls of crumpled newspaper to hold a round shape. Make two armholes in each side and secure around the neck .   Little Old Lady   An old house dress with torn stockings and slippers. Curlers in the hair or white wig. Glasses, blacked out tooth, old fashioned pocketbook.   Tourist   Hawaiian shirt or other loud clothes, camera, hat with pins all over it, maps sticking out of pockets, sunglasses.   Crayon   Sweat suit in the chosen color of your crayon. Design the crayon wrapper from poster board, felt pieces or craft foam and baste or pin onto the sweat suit. Add a like-colored plant pot for a hat, or use a large round of poster board, cut from edge to center and make into a pointy hat. Secure under child's chin with a wide strip of elastic stapled to the hat.   Static Cling   Start with sweat suit of your choice, pin on small clothing items such as socks, hats, mittens, and underwear along with a few dryer sheets.   Cow, Pig, Kitty, Doggy   Hooded sweat suit in the appropriate color ( white cow, pink pig, brown dog). Embellish with felt scraps to make spots, ears, tail, etc.   Backwards Costume - Put clothes and hat on backwards, sunglasses on back of head, say "Treat or Trick!"   Mummy   Tear a white sheet into strips. Paint face white and spray hair with white paint. Smear black under the eyes. Wrap child dressed in white long underwear with sheet strips, securing with clear medical tape, leaving eyes and mouth open.   Angel   White sweat suit with wings of tulle stretched over shaped coat hangers. Glittery headband made from wire circle covered with foil and colorful curling ribbon. Wand made from thin dowel with cardboard star attached to one end, painted silver or gold with glitter and curling ribbon added.   Clown - Sweat suit with colorful felt or fabric paint polka dots. Clown collar made from felt triangles attached together in a circle to go around child's neck. Colorful clown wig, nose, and oversized glasses. Facepaint simple blue crosses over eyes, red cheeks, and large red mouth.   Cook   White sweat suit, chef's hat, large wooden spoon, cookbook under the arm, curly mustache drawn in face paint.   Nerd   Too small pants, shirt buttoned up wrong, pocket protector, hair slicked back, old pair of glasses with tape, white socks, large textbook to carry under the arm.           Patricia B. Jensen is a mother of three and kids party enthusiast. She is the webmaster and owner of Kids-Party-Paradise.com - a comprehensive resource for kids party ideas and complete party plans for many popular themes, including invitations, cakes, decorations, games, costumes, favors, and food. If you have a web site related to kids, kids parties, or another related theme, you may reproduce this article on your site, provided it appears in its entirety, including this resource box and live clickable link to: Kids-Party-Paradise.com where great kids parties are "a piece of cake"! Copyright 2004 Kids Party Paradise All Rights Reserved articles@kids-party-paradise.com

30 Kid Party Favors for Pennies Article Author: Patricia B. Jensen

Kids party favors needn't be costly, just a simple remembrance of the good time guests had at your child's party. Each of these party favors cost under $1 per guest, some only pennies apiece. Shop dollar stores and discount outlets to stock up on these clever party favorites. Use individually or mix and match, using your party theme as a guide.     Craft stick picture frames (decorated by party guests) with a polaroid of the party child with each guest   Small plastic toy, stickers, stringed beads, coins, etc. inside an inflated balloon   Glow necklaces and bracelets   Small pack of crayons with coloring book   Book matching the party theme   Frisbee   Bubble liquid   Sidewalk chalk   Puzzle   Beach ball   Tattoos   Balloons   Pencils   Hair ornaments   Watercolor paint set   Address book   Tiny Notebook   Plastic Tiara   Lollipops   Pez Dispensers   Seed packets to plant   Unused fast food toys   Fast food coupons worth $1   Homemade modeling clay and a cookie cutter     Make and Take Party Favors:   Kids love to make crafts and these double as party favors when kids get to take them home...     Personalized and decorated foam sun visor   Handpainted and decorated sunglasses   Personalized and decorated bookmark   Handmade potpourri sachet   Handmade refrigerator magnet   Handpainted suncatcher   Handmade beaded jewelry   Homemade soap     Party favors should not be so expensive as to rival the gifts given to your child at his or her party! Keep it small, simple, memorable, and easy on your pocketbook.           Patricia B. Jensen is a mother of three and kids party enthusiast. She is the webmaster and owner of Kids-Party-Paradise.com - a comprehensive resource for kids party ideas and complete party plans for many popular themes, including invitations, cakes, decorations, games, costumes, favors, and food. If you have a web site related to kids, kids parties, or another related theme, you may reproduce this article on your site, provided it appears in its entirety, including this resource box and live clickable link to: Kids-Party-Paradise.com where great kids parties are "a piece of cake"! Copyright 2004 Kids Party Paradise All Rights Reserved articles@kids-party-paradise.com

3 Quick and Easy Ways to Generate Story Ideas Article Author: Shery Ma Belle Arrieta-Russ

There are many ways you can generate ideas you can use for your stories, articles and other creative pieces. Start with the three ways given below: 1. Put Your 5 Senses to Work A simple but effective way to generate fresh ideas from a single concept, idea or object is to describe or illustrate it using the 5 senses -- sight, smell, touch, taste, sound. For you to do: Generate 5 specific images or concrete examples (one example for each sense) for the following: - vindication (what's the smell of vindication? how does it taste? how does it sound? what does it look like? how does it feel?) - hesitation - celebration 2. Take Advantage of Your Conflicts Conflict is a part of life. It's also a source of creativity. You only need to look at yourself and examine your experiences to come up with ideas based on conflicts. For you to do: What's stopping you from doing something? Who is in the way of you getting what you want? What's stopping you from taking a career leap? Brainstorm for conflicts in your life and come up with at least 15 in your list. 3. It's OK to Call People Names Generate nicknames or terms that capture the lifestyles, attitudes or characteristics of certain groups of people. For example, the nicknames I came up for the kind of people I encountered on the bus when I used to commute to work and back were: space-hog, slumper, fidgeter and refined. The terms described how the people on the bus behaved as they sat. [They were useful because I was able to avoid the space-hogs and the fidgeters when choosing a seat. Sitting beside a slumper was all right, since most slumpers kept their slumps within their space ] For you to do: Generate nicknames or terms for the following groups of people: - cashiers - waiters - teachers - employees - actors Begin using these 3 simple ways of generating ideas today. Before long, you'll be churning out one idea after another with ease. That's creativity at work! Copyright (c) 2004 Shery Ma Belle Arrieta-Russ About the author: Shery is the developer of creative, motivating and fun e-mail courses for writers. Sign up and take an e-mail course today...free! http://writingbliss.com

15 Ways to Create Some Extra Holiday Money Article Author: Skye Thomas

Originally this was going to be a list for my two teenagers but some of these ideas are better suited to adults with a valid driver's license and a bit of know-how. Some of these take a bit of planning and organizing, but most of them could be done on a fairly spur of the moment case by case basis. The great thing about a lot of these ideas is that you're spreading holiday cheer by helping to make someone else's otherwise stressful and overwhelming to-do list a little bit easier. Who wouldn't pay to have someone come do a few of these things for you? Mostly, what's important is that you remember to provide a quality item or service to the buyer with a smile on your face and in your heart. Have fun with these!   1. Baby-sit for people who need to do some Christmas shopping without their little ones tagging along. Anyone trustworthy who is over the age of about thirteen or fourteen can do this one. It's hectic enough to get in and out of the malls and shopping centers without having to drag toddlers along. Contact friends, family, coworkers, and members of your spiritual community to let them know that you're available for holiday babysitting. This can include time that the parents need to get away for office parties, charity events, and volunteering to help the elderly and less fortunate members of their community.   2. Grab a ladder and offer to clean leaves out of your neighbors' gutters. Many people are so busy during the summer months that they completely forget to clean all of the debris from their gutters when the sun is out and it's dry outside. It's cold and yucky outside now and many people are too busy to get to it themselves. They'll probably be glad that you offered and they can check it off of their to-do lists. This isn't one for the younger kids. However, they can offer to rake up the leaves in their neighbors' yards. Adults could offer to do both the gutters and the yard as one big project for a nice reasonable price. It could also be a father & son side business that you do together - while dad cleans the neighbors gutters, junior rakes up the leaves in the lawn.   3. Bake something amazing and offer to sell it to your friends and coworkers so they won't have to do their own holiday baking. You probably have to be careful about selling your baked goods to professional organizations and such, but you could do some sideline baking to help out your friends, neighbors, and coworkers who are going to be entertaining guests over the holidays and simply won't have the time to do their own baking. Have you got an awesome recipe that stands out as everyone's absolute favorite? It's the hit of every potluck? Make up some tiny sample sizes or bring it in to the office break room and serve up samples to your potential clients. Then while their mouths are watering, tell them that for a fee you'll bring them one to their home the day before their guests are to arrive. You'll have to work out the scheduling and cost of ingredients and such, but this could be a fun way to make some money and spread some serious joy. The hostess will be so pleased when she pulls your work of art out of the fridge and her guests ooh and ah over the scrumptious homemade dessert she didn't even have to bake herself.   4. Offer to collect people's empty soda cans and cash them in. My son raised almost $300 last spring doing this so that he could go to a training course to become a camp counselor for the little kids at our church. He went door to door offering to do yard work and most people just handed him bags and bags of pop cans they didn't want to take the time to cash in. He collected most of them over one weekend and then cashed them all in the following weekend. We live really close to a grocery store where he could walk to cash them in, so I didn't even have to get my car dirty with sticky soda drippings! This is a really good one for the younger kids to do.   5. Sell something on eBay. I know a number of people who make a decent second income all year round by digging around for antiques and such from the Goodwill and then fixing them, cleaning them up, and selling them for a much higher price on eBay. You have to know what to look for, but these folks will pick up an old pair of stereo speakers for $10 or $15 and then sell them on eBay for $200. The customer pays for shipping. You can also do this through garage sales, flea markets, and estate sells too. Most of the time and work goes into hunting for the cool treasures that someone will want to purchase.   6. Hang up people's outdoor Holiday lights for them. As a single mom, I would have loved it if someone had come to my house and hung the Christmas lights on my house for me. My children always wanted us to decorate the outside of the house and I hated not being able to do that for them. I didn't know the first thing about how to go about hanging them up. I didn't even own a ladder! So, I would think that you could go around offering to hang up people's outdoor holiday lights for a fee. It they are like me and don't even have lights but want to get some, you could offer your expertise as to which kind to buy and where to get the best prices and such.   7. Grab a broom or a shovel and offer to clean the neighborhood sidewalks. This is another good one for the younger teens. There's always sidewalks that need swept or shoveled. And there's always someone too busy or too tired to do it themselves.   8. Work a second job as seasonal help at one of the department stores in the mall. Most of the major department stores hire extra help in October or November so they can have them fully trained by the time the really busy holiday shopping season kicks in. They are kept on until after the inventory counts are done in January. Then most are let go if they haven't quit already. Those who have proven themselves to be quality employees will often be asked to stay on longer.   9. Sell something at holiday bazaars. I suspect that you have to get these kinds of events lined up ahead of time with a bit of preplanning and such, but plenty of folks make a decent seasonal income by selling cool arts and crafts type items at those holiday bazaars. Often a percentage of the sales goes towards a fundraiser, but you still make enough to make it worth your time and energy to create the art and to hang out at the art shows.   10. Sell your plasma. We all know how important it is to donate blood during the holidays, but many people don't know that you can get paid for sitting through a procedure quite similar to the donation process. The difference is that they run your blood through a machine that separates the plasma from the red blood cells and puts the red blood cells back into your body. It take longer and I guess that's why they are willing to pay you for your time. Years ago, I used to do this when my kids were really little and we needed some extra money for upcoming birthdays and such. They wouldn't let you do it more than once a week or so and they only paid about $25 each time, so you had to plan ahead if you were going to raise $100 or $200 for something you wanted to purchase. Contact your local Red Cross or other blood donation centers for help finding the plasma centers.   11. Clean houses for others who have holiday guests coming. Typically, if someone has out of town guests coming for the holidays, they have a lot more on their to-do list then just cleaning their toilets and shampooing the carpets. You could become a real lifesaver for those in a crunch who are too busy, too old, or too tired to do a thorough deep cleaning before the guests arrive. Some might even hire you again to clean up after the guests leave too! Teens can do this just as easily as the adults can.   12. Run errands and do odd holiday jobs like wrapping gifts or delivering packages to the post office. You could start a little side business where all you do is run other people's errands for them. Drop off and pick up the dry cleaning. Take their pet to the vet. Deliver cupcakes to the charity fundraiser. Pick up a handful of gift certificates from national department stores that will later be mailed out. Address and stamp their Christmas cards for them. Do their grocery shopping. Pick up new printer cartridge and some desk calendars for them. It's all of those tiny little errands that make for frazzled schedules and crazy timelines. For a fee, you could do it for them.   13. Decorate the inside of people's homes or offices for the holidays. You don't have to be a professional interior decorator to be helpful. If you've got a reputation as having a good eye for attractive and festive decorating, you can help others to set up their trees, hang garland, and place some nice poinsettia here and there. You can help make people's homes and their office space a warm inviting environment and also include coming back after the holidays to break it all down into to storage containers as part of the deal. I hate tearing down the decorations and would love to pay someone to put it all back away!   14. Cater some dinners for the extremely busy shoppers or for Holiday parties. Those who are not awesome cooks need not apply for this one! Let's say that your boss is having the annual company Christmas party at his house and his wife is swamped with running kids back and forth to choir concerts and peewee football camp while shopping and planning for her in-laws who will be flying in to visit only three days after her husband's company party at her house!!! You could offer to cook and cater the event for her. You'd once again be making someone else's holiday season so much easier while earning extra money for yourself. Decide in advance on a menu and who's purchasing the ingredients needed. Then all you have to come up with is a dollar figure for your time and grandma's secret recipe for those little mini-cakes that everyone loves so much.   15. Chauffer someone's children to and from school and other activities so the parents have some free time. This isn't quite the same as babysitting. You'd be amazed at how much time a person can spend picking up and driving two or three kids to different events and hauling musical instruments and sporting gear from one event to the next. You could simply run a taxi service for children and teenagers who need rides from point A to B. You don't have to hang out and watch them once they get there. Just make sure they arrive on time. Even just having an afternoon at home to cook and clean house while someone else gathers up all of the kids and brings them all home could make a world of difference for someone.   As you can see, some of these services could easily be turned into a year-round side job or they could be dropped as soon as the holidays are over. Perhaps you'll find that you love catering people's meals, you love refurbishing antiques, or you love running errands and taxiing others around from place to place. You could go into business for yourself and by next year, you could quit your 'real job' and be happily self-employed. Then again, your teenager could discover how much time and work it takes just to raise enough money for some generous Christmas shopping. After learning the value of a dollar earned, they might decide that college is a good idea after all!   Copyright 2004, Skye Thomas, Tomorrow's Edge           Skye Thomas is the CEO of Tomorrow's Edge, an Internet leader in inspiring leaps of faith. She became a writer in 1999 after twenty years of studying spirituality, metaphysics, astrology, personal growth, motivation, soulmates, and parenting. Her books, articles, and astrological forecasts have inspired people of all ages and faiths to recommit themselves to the pursuit of happiness. To read more of her articles and to sign up to receive her free weekly newsletter, go to www.TomorrowsEdge.net. To download free previews of her books, go to www.SkyeThomas.com. Skye@TomorrowsEdge.net

12 Ways to Organize Your Laundry Article Author: Barbara Myers

1. Develop a system and follow it consistently. Allow your family one month to adjust to it before you alter it. 2. Enlist your family's help. Make each person responsible for transporting their clothing to and from the laundry room. Even a five-year-old can handle that task. 3. Let children help you with the laundry. It's the best way for them to learn. 4. Do all your laundry in one day OR do a couple of loads each evening -- whichever works better for you. 5. Take the lids off your hampers. Make it easy to put dirty clothes where they belong. 6. Have a hamper in each room. However, if you have enough space, place all hampers in the laundry room. Label them according to wash loads (whites, towels, jeans, dark colors,....). Have each person sort their clothes into the hampers each night. Wash a load whenever a hamper is full enough. 7. Teach everyone in the family to make a decision about each piece of clothing as they take it off. There are three options: clean (return to closet), hang to air (designated place) or dirty (hamper). 8. Keep a backup supply of detergent, softener and stain remover. When you open the last one, add it to the grocery list. Laundry items are so expensive it pays to stock up whenever there is a sale. 9. Pick up a good stain remover chart and POST it in the laundry room. 10. Have a designated place for items which need mending. Every week or month, mend them or drop them off at the seamstress. 11. Hang a bag in your closet or in the laundry room for dry clean only items. Set up a routine to drop off and pick up on certain days each month. Some dry cleaners will even deliver. 12. Keep a small basket in the laundry room for "found" items such as money and buttons. Use another one for mate-less socks since they will probably show up next time. About the Author Barbara Myers is a professional organizer and author of "Manage Your Wardrobe System." Receive free tips to help you take control of your time by organizing your life. Visit http://ineedmoretime.com

12 Things You Can Learn From A Two-Year Old Article Author: Nancy Hill

I think if you asked any child about the adults around them, they'd probably say we're a little wacky and seem to be stressed out a lot of the time. Here are a few simple things they can teach us... 1. Nap when you're tired. 2. Eat when you're hungry. 3. Don't starve yourself, it makes you tired and cranky. Eat little bits often to keep fueled up. 4. Stubbornly refuse to eat even one more bite once you're full. If you're full after a few bites, gleefully throw the rest away. 5. Leave the table with a satisfied, full belly and an eagerness to dive back into your delicious life. 6. Be picky and only eat foods you love. If it doesn't taste great to you, clamp those lips shut and refuse to eat until something better is found. 7. Be in awe over how amazing and wonderful your body is. Notice how it moves, hugs, plays, loves, heals, and enjoys life. 8. Run, jump, skip, play. Move your body because it's so much fun and it feels good. Be amazed at all the incredible physical things your body can do. 9. Wear clothes that are comfy and that make you feel good. 10. Appreciate the people around you for who they are rather than for how they look. 11. Hang out with fun, friendly people and stay away from mean, critical ones. 12. Feel great about yourself because, well, why wouldn't you? If you don't have a two-year old around right now, seek one out and watch them for a day. Their simple enjoyment of life, and their absolute respect for their own bodies is something to aspire to. About the Author ©2005 Nancy Hill has helped thousands get free of the dieting nightmare with her ebook, "Undieting - 11 Simple Steps to Reclaim Your Body and Your Life." Sign up now for the Free 7-Day Undieting Email Course and discover how to get your life back. Feel free to reprint this article, just use the whole article with this resource box attached.

10 Classic Fashions No Woman Can Do Without Article Author: Shirley Pierce and Janet Behmer

A fashion savvy Australian Aborigine once said, "The more you know, the less you need." Translation: It's better to know your way around the classics than have a closet crammed with clothing that is already so "five minutes ago". It's smart to stock up on classics, no matter your personal style. Think Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, Catherine Deneuve: always, simple, chic and impeccably dressed. Once you have the classics, you can go anywhere. If you buy pieces that are well-made and in good fabrics, they'll wear better, feel better and, of course, look better on you. The fabrics to look for are lightweight wool gabardine, silk, cotton, linen, cashmere, and textured microfibers. Go that extra mile and make sure everything fits, especially the tailored pieces. Go to a tailor if something needs to be altered. It's worth the money. Now for those of you who are not the "classic" type, you can still do your own thing. Try a Chanel jacket with jeans or a leather bomber with a chiffon skirt. If you're downtown hip with a touch of "goth", just add a leather jacket to the classics along with leather pants and animal print accessories. If you're the artistic, creative type, throw on some ethnic or artful pieces to give the classics your own special style. Think Peruvian hand-knit sweaters, chunky bracelets or African necklaces. Classics are also good if you're on a budget. They last longer and you'll have fewer mad dashes to the mall to buy a piece just for one evening. If you don't believe us, try on a little black dress or a solid color suit. Add a scarf, several necklaces or different belts. See how many different looks you have? What are the true, blue chip classics? Take notes. The wardrobe you save may be your own. THE CLASSICS 1.) 3 Piece Suit -- Try a jacket, skirt and pants in a solid color. 2.) Navy Blazer -- A must have that makes an impression. 3.) White Shirt -- Nothing beats a crisp cotton shirt with or without French Cuffs. 4.) Khaki Slacks -- Versatility is their strong suit and they can withstand a nuclear winter. 5.) Cashmere Sweater or Twin Set -- Sedate or seductive. Your choice. 6.) Jeans -- Keep them "classic". Dry-clean or press them yourself after washing. 7.) Little Black Dress -- All hail to this number that can go from smokey bar to a ballroom. 8.) Formal Attire -- Dramatic separates are better to mix'n'match and make different outfits. 9.) Raincoat -- Go for a zip-out lining. The Trench Coat is the true classic. 10.) A Positive Self Image -- Nothing looks better on a woman than her confidence and pride. Classics rock. Trust us. ***** Janet Behmer and Shirley Pierce are authors of the book "Dress Me Now: How to Make Your Wardrobe Behave". It's fashion for real women with real bodies and it's changing the way women think about clothes and themselves. Check out their web site DressMeNow.com at http://www.dressmenow.com. Janet Behmer and Shirley Pierce have over 30 years of fashion experience between them. Janet has spent over 13 years as an on-camera host and buyer for home shopping channels and Shirley is the co-founder and president of Dress Me Now!, a company committed to the self-empowerment of women. She is invited to speak to women's groups and has been featured on radio and telelvision.

5 Great Tips For Choosing Safe Toys For Your Children Article Author: Ispas Marin

Every children in the world whishes to have toys and every parent trys to give them what they want. So until they grow-up children spend most of their time playing with different toys. If you are careful when you choose toys for your kids you can even consider that you are making an investment. But you have to know if you are making a good investment or not. There are many educative and safe toys. but you can also find many dangerous toys on the market this days. In this article you will find five tips for choosing safe toys for your children. After all every parent is concerned about their children safety. So you should consider this five thighs when you choose a toy: size, shape, surface, strings and supervision. Size: you should avoid buying toys with small parts like buttons, wheels, eyes. This small parts can come off and be easily swallowed. So if you have a child under three years you should consider the size of the toys. Shape: try as much as you can to avoid buying toys with sharp edges and blunt ends. Look for toys with smooth surfaces. You should also avoid plastic, glass or metal toys that can bend and cut. You wouldn't want your kid to be hurt because of a toy hat you bought. Surfaces: another issue that you should consider when you decide to buy a toy is the surface. Usually a toy should have a label from where you can find out if it includes any toxic substances. There are toy that are painted with toxic paint bot that contain toxic liquids that can leak and harm your kid. Strings: toys made from strings or that contain parts made of strings can also become dangerous. If the child is to young he could get wrapped around wrists or neck in the strings. Supervision: Last but not least you should provide your child a safe place to play with his toys. And you should monitor him as much as possible so you can be sure that nothing bad can happen. In conclusion, when a child is playing is almost the same thing like when an adult is working. We all must understand that it's a very important issue to provide our kids with safe toys. This includes choosing toys that are right for your child's age. You should also follow exactly the manufacturer's age recommendations. You mustn't think that you child is to smart to play with toys for his age. We can never be to careful! About the Author Get your gifts, gadgets & toys at http://www.gadgetsquick.co.uk - The coolest gadget site on the internet!

Are Educational Games Online Beneficiary For Children?

Article Author: Cade Wilson

When one thinks of computer games, the images of exploding targets, flashy graphics, sometimes violent mayhem, pulsing repetitive music and sound effects, usually whirls in mind that makes preschoolers to teenagers and many times adults spend long hours losing themselves in an excitement to watch the mesmerizing and pleasurable virtual world. The thought of using such a game as an educational tool, is enough to make some educators and the parents go crazy.

There are many gaming sites where you can find educational games online that are good for your children, and do not lead them on to dangerous or pornographic websites but a lot of parents make the mistake of accepting any educational games online as good and beneficiary for their children. Parents should make sure to use parental control software program to prevent the children for watching any illegal site. Young children are impressionable and this software gives you the ability to hold children accountable, and provide security measure to protect them. As long as the children are guided and watched over properly they can easily find educational games online all by themselves, or with a little pestering that will improve their IQ. Parents should also be aware that many websites simply put any old game up in order to get people to click their ads so they should help their child to browse net for good and reliable educational games online.

Educational games online are generally limited by the fact that they must be web-browser based except for math games, word games, or basic activities. For a fully-interactive and comprehensive educational game for your computer, you need to visit a software store. Unlike offline games, educational games online can be an excellent, cheap way of teaching your children important concepts and skills.

There are website saturated with over hundreds and hundreds of educational games online that are all good for developing various skills used in school. These educational games online are sorted according to the age of the children. Once you find a good selection of games encourage the children to play these games so that they can acquire skills and can improve their power of thinking. Often games based on math or puzzles help to increase the IQ of the children but besides there are other educational games that are impregnated with social values and ethics that are also essential and plays an important role in providing required information to the players. Educational game online allows a greater classroom cooperation and improve group work among the children.www.bubblebox.com

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Home Organization Tools to Tackle Clutter

Clutter is often the main problem in an unorganized home. It is not that people do not know what to do with their stuff, it is just that they have too much of it. So how do you tackle the clutter beast that is taking over your home? Here are a couple of home organization tools that can help.

A system. If you want to tackle that clutter, you are going to need a systematic way to do it and a system for deciding what to keep and what goes. So for the first of these home organization tools: a systematic way to do it.

The approach I like to use is the room by room approach. In this, you tackle the clutter in each room separately. You also take sections of a room at a time. For example, when I organized my kitchen, I was only working on my kitchen, not on any other rooms in my home. I also only worked on organizing one area of my kitchen at a time; one week it was organizing the pantry, the next week it was organizing the set of cupboards next to the stove. I think you get the idea.

The next of the home organization tools is developing a system for what stays and what goes. Having a labeling system can help with this one. A is for the things you are definitely keeping. Think hard before you put something in this pile. This should only be reserved for the things you absolutely love. B is for the things that you are not sure about. A home organization tip for this one: Do not leave anything in this category for more than 6 months. After 6 months, it should either go into the A pile or the C or D pile. C is for the things you are going to give away. Make sure that everything in this pile is in useable condition. D is for the things you are going to toss.

Another of the home organization tools that can help you take on the clutter is a brutally honest friend. Getting rid of the clutter in your home can be easier if you have some help. The trick is getting someone to help who is not going to let you keep stuff that they know you do not use. The other piece of this is that you need to make sure that you do not get mad at your friend for their home organization help. They are there to help you get rid of your stuff, not enable you to continue hanging onto things that you no longer have a use for.

Get more home organization tools to get your house in order today. No more excuses for that clutter. Get your free home organization help at http://www.YourHomeIsOrganized.com

 

 

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Halloween Party

Halloween steht vor der T?r und nicht nur in den Staaten vorbereiten sich Kinder und auch Erwachsene auf das farbenfrohe und kost?mreiche Fest. Viele nehmen Halloween gerne als die M?glichkeit eine Party bei sich zu Hause zu veranstalten. Halloween erm?glicht einem jedem Haushalt die neusten Dekorationen auszuprobieren und sich in die verr?cktesten Kost?me zu schmei?en.

Wenn Sie wirklich Ihr Haus f?r Halloween schm?cken wollen, gibt es so viele fertige Halloween Dekorationen, dass die eigentlich nicht viel Zeit im Basteln und Bauen investieren m?ssen. Ein Besuch in der Kinderabteilung oder Super und schon kann man die buntesten und schr?gsten Accessoires zu Halloween finden. Ob schreckhafte Puppen, monstr?se Marionetten, Poster, Luftballons oder fertige Kost?me, zu kaufen gibt es heute schon alles.

Doch wer etwas pers?nlicher sein will oder gar etwas charakteristischere Dekorations- Thema haben will, kann ein bisschen Zeit investieren und sich ans Basteln setzten. Versetzen Sie sich einfach wieder in den damaligen Bastelstundne oder kaufen sie sich ein Basteln Heft und Sie werden sehen wie schnell die Souveniere und Ideen str?men werden! Heut zu Tage kann man sogar sehr informative Inetrnetseiten yum Thema Bastel finden. Es gibt sogar Tutorial und Filem, die einem das Basteln vormachen.

Doch wie beginnt man mit dem Dekorieren? Zu aller erst muss man sich ein Thema aussuchen. Ob Grusselkabinet, Adams Familie oder einfach Friedhof, es gibt unz?hlige Ideen und Beispiele f?r au?ergew?hnliche Halloween Themen. Sagen wir mal Sie haben sich f?r Dracula entschieden, nun muss sich Dekoration an das Thema halten. Also lieber Gespenster und kitschige Monster in den Hintergrund behalten und sich besonders auf Flederm?use, Zombies und Vampire konzentrieren.

Verschiedene Materiale passend zum Thema Dracula zusammensammeln und los Basteln. Man sollte bei einer Halloween nicht nur Eingang und Wohnzimmer dekorieren, sondern jede Ecke, wo G?ste und Kinder kommen. Dass hei?t nat?rlich auch Bad, K?che und wenn Garten vorhanden ist. Im Garten kann man wundersch?ne Gr?ber raus Pappe basteln, verschiedene K?rbisse ausstellen und den Eingang leicht beleuchten. Die R?ume selber sollten eher finster gehalten werden. Grosse schwarze Lacken sind ideal um Fenster, Schr?nke oder anderes Zeug zu verstecken. Kerzen sollten bedacht benutzt werden, R?ucherst?bchen sind immer gut!

Wer nun seien Wohnung perfekt dekoriert hat, muss auch an die passende Snacks denken! Ob ein richtige Mahl oder ein paar einfache Snacks, wer mit seiner Halloween pr?gen will, sollte ans kleinste Detail denken! Wer Sandwichs, H?ppchen und Salzzeug vorbereitet sollte den Ketchup gekonnt verwendet. Ketchup sieht aus wie blut und kann super Effekte machen! Ansonsten kann man allerhand leckeres Essen farblich mit Farbmittel einstimmen! Dekoriertes Essen wird einfach zusammen mit der passenden Dekoration ein perfekter Event machen!

Zum perfekten Event jedoch sollte man niemals die passenden Kost?me vergessen. Was nutzt die ganze Investition in der Halloween Party, wenn G?ste in Jeans und Jogging kommen. Die Atmosph?re kann auf dieser Weise in wenigen Sekunden zu nichts gemacht werden. Am Besten also in einer Halloween Einladung und noch pers?nlich den G?sten bitten verkleidet in der Party zu erscheinen! Wichtig ist es dann aber auch selber verkleidet zu sein. Als Gastgeber sollte man besonders gut verkleidet sein! Auch hier hat man die Wahl zwischen gekauftes oder selbstgemachtes Kost?m.

F?r Erwachsene ist Halloween wirklich ideal sich wieder wie ein Kind zu f?hlen! Basteln, Verkleiden und Schminken ist ein Muss bei Halloween! Nutzen Sie die Gelegenheit, endlich wieder eine stimmungsreiche Party bei sich zu veranstalten! Lassen Sie Ihre Fantasie erbl?hen und organisieren Sie ihre eigene Halloween Party und f?hlen sie sich wie im Casino !

 

Silke Hoffmann ist eine begeisterte Franz?sische Roulette Spielerin. Sie spielt seit 6 Jahren Roulett

 

 

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10 Organizing Tips To Reduce Stress During The Holidays

You know how Santa makes a list and checks it twice? That is exactly what we need to do. Make a master list of what you want and need to do before and during the holidays. Here are some organizing tips to get you started making out your list:

1. Decide on a budget and stick to it. I know that is easier said than done, but come as close as you can. Set up a Christmas club where you bank. The plan is that you save a certain amount of money every month for Christmas. This is even easier if it is automatically taken out from your pay check because you never miss it.

2. Write down your gift list. Do this on the computer and you will have a template for the next year. Make different categories; one for family, one for friends, neighbors, and for others at work or clubs where you exchange gifts.

3. If you mail gifts you know how expensive it has become. But did you know you can mail in a priority mail flat rate box for $9.80? The beauty of this is it doesn't matter how much it weighs. As long as you can stuff it in the box (I sealed mine with packing tape as it was bulging) it is the same rate. And the heavy box is free at the post office or order it on line at usps.com Also, mail early so it will get where you want it to go on time.

4. Send a check or a gift card if you know where someone likes to shop. When I chose this type of gift I add the amount that postage that I would have paid so the one receiving my gift gets to spend it instead of giving it to the postal service.

5. When buying toys for children keep in mind the "one in, one out" idea. Suggest to the grandparents to put money they planned on spending into the child's saving account.

6. Shop early. That can mean starting with the sales the day after Christmas. This is an especially good time because there are terrific sales and you can pick up great gifts at reasonable prices. When you shop early you find many great sales and the merchandise isn't picked over like it is if you wait too long.

7. Designate an envelope for all receipts and put them in it before you leave the counter when you purchase an item. Even if you just know it won't be returned—do this. It will make your life easier if you or the recipient has a return to make. One of the best organizing tips I can give you is: set up a filing system (I love Freedom Filers system) and in the system label a hanging folder for receipts. When you get home, put the receipts in this folder and return the envelope to your purse.

8. Be careful about giving a gift you have made thinking you will be saving money. Handmade gifts lovingly crafted are wonderful gifts, but sometimes are pricier than buying a gift.

9. Buy family gifts and set a limit of how much each family will spend on each other. For something different choose a theme and buy gifts within that theme. (Games, movies, parties, food etc).

10. Set a limit on how many parties you will attend in a week. This will free up your time to spend with your family and for yourself.

The holidays can be a wonderful time of the year and by putting thought into them and what we can do to make them less stressful will result in a holiday to look forward to instead of dreading for it to come.

Marilyn is a professional organizer who works with women and seniors in clearing clutter and providing organizing tips. Clearing clutter helps those she works with to have less stress in their lives and feel more joy in living. Marilyn invites you to visit her website http://www.marilynbohn.com where you can find organizing solutions. You will find fun stories and free organizing tips in her blogs, articles and videos.

 

 

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13 organizing tips for car safety for the holidays

If you are traveling by car here are a few organizing tips to get your car ready before leaving and other trip ideas to make traveling pleasant and safe:I was driving to Colorado for a week to do some organizing. The car tires looked low so I went to a shop to have the tire pressure checked. I have been driving a long time and when the young man said let's see how much air the tires need I started to reach for my drivers manual. It was news to me that I could find it in a more convenient place.

He opened the driver's door and there on the car was a sticker that told how much air my tires needed. (In the U.S. that is a law for the sticker to be there). I had no idea it was so convenient. As he was checking the tires I thought what other organizing tips could I share?

If you are traveling by car here are a few organizing tips to get your car ready before leaving and other trip ideas to make traveling pleasant and safe:

·Make sure the tires are properly inflated—this is a safety issue and proper tire pressure also improves gas mileage.

·Clear clutter from the car—I know we all keep it clutter free, but check the side pockets on the door and under the seats just to make sure. Put extra trash bags in the car for the trip.

·Check the oil; keep one or two containers of oil in the trunk or back of the vehicle just in case you need it.

·Make sure you have a can of "fix a flat". If you are caught in the middle of nowhere with a flat tire this can get you to the nearest station where you can get your tire fixed. This has saved me more than once.

·Put your 72 hour kit in the vehicle.

·Put your travel first aid kit in the car. Check it to make sure the first aid supplies have been resupplied if it has been used.

·Jumper cables or the recharger box that can start your car without needing the assistance a second car can be a life saver.

·The items you may need in an emergency pack in the vehicle last in case (heaven forbid) you do have to use them.

·Bring your fully charged cell phone and your charger.

·Take an atlas and driving directions. Check Mapquest or GoogleMaps before heading out on the road.

·Keep a check list on your computer of what you need to pack for a trip and refer to it. Don't try to remember everything by memory. For a short trip you don't have to pack everything you own. If you forget something you can probably buy it along the way or where you are going.

·Fill your gas tank the day before you leave so you don't have to delay getting on the road after you are packed and everyone is in the car excited to get on the road.

·Make a hard and fast rule that everyone wears a seat belt. The car can't start without everyone buckled in.

Road trips can be stressful and fun at the same time, planning ahead and using these organizing tips can help you and your family have a safe and memorable time together.

Marilyn is a professional organizer who works with women and seniors in clearing clutter and providing organizing tips. Clearing clutter helps those she works with to have less stress in their lives and feel more joy in living.

Marilyn invites you to visit her website http://www.marilynbohn.com where you can find organizing solutions. You will find fun stories and free organizing tips in her blogs, articles and videos.

 

 

Related Articles - Clutter Control, Organizing Tips, Organize Your Life, Professional Organizer, Online Organizer, Office Organizing, Organizing Clutter, Unclutter, Hous,

Free Printable Christening Invitations

In need of free printable christening invitations? We’ve got your solution and there only need you will have for printing them out is to put on in the baby book.

To say that the day of your child’s Christening is very special would be an understatement. It’s normally the first special occasion that honors your baby. Congratulations to you and your entire family on your new, sweet little addition.

Special occasions deserve special invitations. To fully ensure your invitations are special and personalized perfectly, you need to create them yourself. You can do this for free through Events Listed and the use of Web 2.0 technologies. Don’t worry. These technologies are so easy to use the baby may even be able to take part.

Free Printable Christening Invitations-Create Your Own

Through Events Listed and the use of over 60 multi media web tools, you can create your own personalized Christening invitations and yes, you can do it for free. No technical experience is required. These tools are completely simple to use and the variations of personalization are endless.

Easily personalize your Christening web page by including pictures of your baby or family, videos, and audio clips. Add some music and post blurbs about the baby’s cute cooing or snoring. Announce who the Godparents are and include the date, time, and location of the Christening. You can even include the name of the Father.

Christening Invitations that Communicate

You will bring your guests to your page electronically by sending emails with direct links to your page. They will click the link, come onto your Christening invitation page, and see the guest list that includes them and maybe even see pictures of themselves beside their names. When they see that they can communicate and interact with each other, they will. If you have any guests on your list that don’t know each other, this is a great way to introduce them before the Christening so everyone feels comfortable with each other.

They’ll also be able to respond to your invitation and see how others have responded. They’ll be able to see who has confirmed they’ll bet there, who won’t be making it, and who hasn’t responded yet.

Once you and they start networking, you will be able to get some ideas from them on Christening gifts, what to do after the Christening, and many other Christening related topics. Add in cross references to other Christening related online groups and you’ll really get some great suggestions then because you would have opened up to a larger audience. Network with as many groups as you’d like for as long as you’d like.

For those helping with the Christening, make use of the task manager and assign their responsibilities to them. Send out preset, automated email reminders about the tasks and for the Christening itself as the day of your little one’s ceremony gets closer.

If need be, you can even post the budget for the Christening online and manage it from there. That can be quite helpful. Why not use these Web 2.0 technologies to your advantage and have a great Christening web page, invitations, and communication portal? Events Listed has made it possible for you. Now kiss that baby for us and have a great time.

About the Author:

Simon Ford is an Internet Entrepreneur who specializes in Event Launch Marketing applying social media and internet marketing strategies. "he initially started writing to attract traffic to his websites and has since become hooked". If the content of this article interests you, you may be interested to visit his website learn more about the latest strategies for designing electronic invitations and publishing multi media rich web pages for events, perfect for announcement parties.

 

 

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Catering for Vegetarians at Your Tailgating or Grill Party

When you organise a grill or tailgate party, the first recipes that you will think about are based on meat, fish and poultry. But what is some of your friends are vegetarians? Or maybe your son's girlfriend is a veggie? So you will need to sort something out for them too. Some people who call themselves vegetarians will eat fish; however you cannot rely on that. But even if you have not cooked veggie before, it is not too difficult.

The most obvious things to do are ready made veggie burgers and veggie dogs - these are mock meats and are generally ideal for grilling. When buying these, check the cooking instructions though as some (veggie dogs in particular) are not suited to grilling and will just turn into a soggy mess! Another great alternative is to do vegetable skewers but add cubes of a non-melting cheese such as Halloumi, a Greek cheese. Another alternative for a meat substitute is tofu, but that is generally very bland so will need marinating. It takes a lot longer to get the marinade flavour into the tofu so you should put it to marinade in the refrigerator about 24 hours in advance of the grill party. Tofu is soya bean curd which comes as a soft solid block. This needs cubing (one inch cubes) before marinating and cooking.

But there are some differences in cooking these when compared with real meats. The level of fats and juices is generally much lower in commercial vegetarian products, great for the waistline but it means that they are more likely to weld themselves to the grill! So to combat that, you will need to make sure the grill is cleaned well and either wipe the grill surface with a paper towel soaked in olive (or any other cooking) oil or use a non-stick spray.

Generally speaking, vegetarians would prefer to eat food that has not been in contact with meat or fish products so it is best to reserve an area of the grill for their food. However, many are practically minded enough to realise that total segregation is not possible but they do appreciate it if you make an effort. That goes for the utensils too, so it will make the grilling process a little more complex but don't let that detract from your party. If your boss or anyone in his or her family is vegetarian, you could really impress them by having two grills, one for vegetarian food only. Oh yes, and remember to use vegetable stock instead of meat stock for any sauces that you will offer your guests.

So the first time or two that you grill for vegetarians will be a bit more of a strain, but practice makes perfect. Also, your meat eating guests may be curious and also enjoy trying an alternative food - thus your grilling party will be talked about for ages afterwards for all the right reasons.

Be the talk of the neighborhood - visit the grilling coach now for great advice, recipes and tips plus grilling videos. And while you are there, if you are smart, sign up for the newsletter to get handy hints straight to your inbox!

 

 

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Ideas For Company Christmas Parties

Ideas for company christmas parties are plentiful if you just use a little creativity. Don’t plan a huge, formal dinner at the boss’ house. That will make everyone uncomfortable, including your boss. Plus, it’s sure to be a snoozer. Find a neutral ground and have your rockin’ company Christmas party there.

Regardless of where you have the festivities, know that you can’t please everyone, but you can please the majority. Below are some tips that are sure to break the ice and get everyone relaxed and in a great mood.

Ideas for Company Christmas Parties to Get the Festivities Going

* As each person comes in, slap a Santa hat on them with their name on it and announce something funny they did at work.

* Have a Christmas stocking with your company logo for everyone. Have them draw numbers for different stockings and don’t allow them to open until everyone has one. Then they open them together only to find out they all have the same gifts.

* Play Christmas Pictionary. Use all Christmas related words and get silly with them.

* Have a “Christmas in Scotland” (or any other country) theme and not only evoke new cultural exposure and education onto your guests, but give them a unique, exciting company Christmas party that they’ll never forget.

Christmas Parties Invitations

Another spicy element to add to the party is to create completely personalized invitations, made personally by you online. Yes, you. With easy to use multi media tools, you can add numerous elements to your web page. When we say easy to use, that is exactly what we mean. Anyone can use these tools.

Decorate your web page for the season, add your company logo and as many Christmas decorations as your heart desires. You can also add pictures of the boss and the staff and add some Christmas videos. Have Christmas music or Christmas bells playing from your page. The personalization possibilities are endless.

You can post comment walls, have a Q&A, or add a poll for your guest to participate in. Once your page is complete, simply send out the invitations electronically via email containing a link to your page. Your guests will love seeing their names on the guest list, especially if you add their pictures beside their names.

They’ll be able to respond on if the are attending or not and see what others have responded. They’ll also be able to communicate and network with each other. You can even network with other social groups networking about company Christmas parties, but in no way do any of you have to stay on topic. It’s just a great way to find others in your niche and expand your horizons.

After the party, update the page to reflect activities from the party. Add a photo album and video from the party. And then keep networking. Don’t stop just because the party’s over.

Simply visit Events Listed and create your page today. Plus it’s free! Merry Christmas from Events Listed.

About the Author:

Simon Ford is an Internet Entrepreneur who specializes in Event Launch Marketing applying social media and internet marketing strategies. "he initially started writing to attract traffic to his websites and has since become hooked". If the content of this article interests you, visit the events listed website to learn more about the latest ideas for company Christmas parties. Check out the latest in FREE web2.0 party planning applications

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Kids Party Themes

Kids' party themes can be anything from fun in the backyard to a Nickelodeon theme such as Dora the Explorer. Kids love variety and they love activity. They also love adventure. So when deciding which kids’ party theme you’ll go with, keep in mind you don’t want a party with any down time. Keep them busy, keep them happy.

With so much energy being put into the party itself, don’t waste your energy or time on traditional invitations in the mail when you can do that easily and free online. Go to kids party themes at the Events Listed and see for yourself.

Kids Party Themes for Girls #1

Paparazzi Party – let the girls be stars for a day. Let them dress up like Hollywood celebrities, and when they arrive have a few Paparazzi taking their pictures. During the party be sure they are asked for more pictures and autographs. Give some of the pictures to all of the girls later, with a few being cropped into a page made to look like a tabloid cover. Kids Party Themes for Girls #2

A Day at the Spa – let the girls give each other makeovers, do each other’s hair, paint each other’s nails, give each other pedicures, and massage each other’s shoulders. While they are doing all of their spa treatments, you bring them fresh fruits, lemonade, and small snack cakes. Play music they will enjoy in the background, but not too loud so they can talk and laugh as well.

Kids Party Themes for Boys #1

Backyard Bug Out – give the boys some clear jars with lids with air holes, magnifying glasses, tweezers, gardening gloves, and safari hats. Let them find as many bugs as they can while they pretend to be on a safari hunt. Then they can bring them back in and identify what they are. Give them some Styrofoam to place their finds on and labels to go underneath.

Kids Party Themes for Boys #2

Dinos & Cavemen – let the boys dress us like cavemen. Set up the backyard to look like the Stone Age, complete with toy dinosaurs. Place things around for them find as if they were real cavemen, such as pretend flint rocks to make tool and toy animals for food. Watch out for the dinos!

Kids Party Themes for Both Girls and Boys

What Animal am I? – Upon arrival, whisper in each child’s ear what animal they are going to pretend to be for the party. Let them know there is one other child there that is the same animal as they are and they have to find each other. The kids have to ask each other questions to figure out what animals they are until they find their buddy. Then they get to take turns telling each other what animal they were and how they figured it out. This is a great socialization activity as well as a great ice breaker. Once you decide what kids party theme you are going with, set your date, and post all of the information online. Send your invitations from here and keep track of your guest list. You can also share any changes to the party here as well.

Have fun!

About the Author:

Simon Ford is an Internet Entrepruener who specializes in Event Launch Marketing applying social media and internet marketing strategies. "he initially started writing to attract traffic to his websites and has since become hooked". If the content of this article interests you, you may be interested to visit his website learn more about the latest surprise birthday party ideas and publishing multi media rich web pages for events, strategies you can adopt to make any event like kids' parties more memorable.

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Profit From Your Knowledge - Become Your Own Craft Book Publisher!

If you've been a crafts person for some time - regardless of the level you think you're at - you have valuable knowledge. Knowledge that other people will gladly pay for. All you need to do is write it down and become your own craft book publisher!

Before you think that's too simplistic an answer, or even a bit sarcastic, let me assure you that is not my intention at all.

You see the age-old barriers to publishing your own craft book are gone. Not only can you use the hugely profitable method of digitally publishing and delivering online but even if you chose to go the traditional printed soft or hardcover route there are print-on-demand specialists who will happily produce just one or two copies of your craft book at very reasonable rates.

Not so long ago if you wanted to publish a craft book you'd have to jump through many, many hops - and for not a lot of reward. First you would have to find an agent (approaching publishers direct was usually unsuccessful). After convincing your agent that the book had merit you'd then have to trust that the agent could find a publisher.

Traditional publishers are notoriously difficult to convince, and not surprisingly. They would have to make a serious investment in pre-production and advertising before they had any chance of showing a profit. Many, many good craft books ended up not getting to press simply because the numbers didn't add up.

If you managed to survive the cull then twelve months or so later you might start seeing some royalties. Around ten to fifteen percent of the cover price.

Very few people got rich writing a craft book.

Now all that has changed. Digital craft book publishing is a reality and dozens of craft books that might never have seen the light of day are now being published by the craftspeople themselves. You don't need an agent, you don't need a publisher, there are ways of marketing your craft book that are zero cost.

The result is not a paltry 10 or 15% but profit levels as high as 90% of the cover price.

Of course there are bound to be other barriers, aren't there? Surely it can't really be that easy to become your own craft book publisher?

Well the only possible thing that some craftspeople might consider a challenge would be creating some sort of website from which to sell their craft book. To be frank, with the ease of publishing that some website systems offer, and the alternative of running a craft blog, there really is nothing to stop you.

You might have to learn a few things you don't know at the moment but as a craftsperson, learning is part of what you do pretty much continually so that shouldn't hold you back.

More about Craft Book Publishing here.

 

 

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Make a board game

People love board games and for some the challenge of making one is as big as winning the game itself. The possible prestige of creating and marketing a board game is a goal many pursue with passion. So what’s involved in making a board game?

There are many aspects to board game creation but the first and most important is the idea itself that will be the foundation of your game. However before you even work on that you need to make a few decisions regarding the target group for the game. For example, is it for young children to stimulate growth or learning in some way or is it for older ones that just want to have some fun? Is it targeted at adults that want to be stimulated or have their mental faculties challenged? Is it a fun way to get people out of their comfort zones and take a risk? Is it a fun game to just bring the family together for some quality time?

Once some of these frame work directives are established you need to look for an idea. Now you don’t have to sit and meditate until you’re inspired with an original idea. You might starve to death in the process. It can be developed by taking a number of parameters and moving them around. For example choose one or two from a selection of possible platforms such as, discovery, risk, task, challenge, reward, suspense, action, bargaining, speed or knowledge.

Decide what will be the end objective from the platform you have chosen. For example, ‘discovery’ could be a ‘who done it’ murder game such as Cluedo, ‘risk’ could be a financial game to pursue wealth such as Monopoly, ‘task’ could be a drawing game such as Pictionary and so on.

Be flexible with these ideas, as they’re only a guide. The next thing to consider is the process of the game. Will you have dice, cards, actions, questions, guessing, timers, scoring or some other form of chance? Again choose one or two and see what you can come up with.

Once you’ve got some framework ideas you can add others into your game to give it a twist and make it original. For example can you apply strategy to your game where working with an opponent helps to defeat a third? Or suspicion to promote decision making? Can you incorporate a “ball from left field” creating the need for flexibility? Can you incorporate a challenge that will make them think out side the square? Can you add a loss factor to promote character or technical difficulty for endurance?

If you have gone through this process and developed an idea you have to bring it to maturity. You do that by playing it over and over to identify and solve every problem. The most important issues to consider are, playing time, enjoyment level and technical difficulty in regard to the target group. Talk to the players and find out what they liked and disliked about the game and refine until they just have to play it again!

Finally, you need to decide whether you want to take the game to market and generate an income from it. The major game companies are very difficult to get into because of their in house and contract game designers. One great alternative is to approach the “make your own board game niche” and sell to them directly the outline of the game, the graphics for printing and the instructions to create and play the game. You can then sell it on the internet.

Ray Burton is the CEO of the new board game Sullivans Mountain.

 

 

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The Price Is Right for Handcrafted Jewelry

The Price Is Right for Handcrafted Jewelry

There are a lot of articles on the ubiquitous Word Wide Web about pricing your handcrafted jewelry. As a jewelry artist myself, I decided to bring together a few ideas related to understanding your costs, staying competitive, and offering discounts.

Understanding Your Costs

Trying to figure out the price of your handcrafted items can feel like the most challenging thing. “Am I charging too much for my items? Am I selling them too cheap and people think I make cheap jewelry when I actually don’t but I am just trying to be fair?” These are normal questions that an artist is challenged with all the time. But don’t worry. Just think that business schools devote entire semesters to this subject. What you really find out is that there is no exact formula to calculate the price. It is all subjective. If you are running your jewelry shop as a business and not just as a hobby, the first thing you need to do is understand your costs and then, of course, cover them. There are three types of costs that I will explain in more detail: direct costs, indirect costs, and your time. • Direct costs include packaging, materials used, any online fees that apply if you have an online jewelry store, or any fees the local shop you’re selling through is charging. • Indirect costs might include a machinery that you had to buy, or the rental fee for accessing a dark room • Your time is what you should consider next – calculate how much time you need to design and make a piece of jewelry. Decide how much you want to pay yourself hourly (it should be more than the minimum wage in your state) and multiply that by the time required to make the item

Staying Competitive

After you understand your costs the next step is to stay competitive in the marketplace. Considering the fact that there are a multitude of artists designing jewelry, this task might seem to you a little daunting. It is very important to spend time analyzing the competition. If you are selling online, search for similar products and see what other people priced them at. If the next shop has a very similar item priced at half your price you might definitely lose customers that do a lot of research. If you are offering the item at a much lower price than the competition, consider revising your price accordingly. It is important to think about who you are competing with. Your competitors may not be someone who is making something very similar but someone who is targeting the same customer. This way you can compare your pricing more broadly. Ask yourself the following questions to help you create your product positioning and give your customer a reason to buy your product. • Why should a customer buy my product instead of the other products out there? • How much does my customer think my product is worth? • Is my product made of better materials? • Does my product have more intricate work or design elements? • What is my reputation in comparison to the other artists making similar items?

Demand pricing is another aspect to consider in your efforts to stay competitive. Sometimes this is described as the price “the market will bear” — which means exercising your ability to charge more for a product that is seen as valuable or unique. This can be challenging and may take some experimentation on your part. Test an increase in price on one of your products and track the progress.

Offering Discounts

Many people believe that discounting is a pricing concept, but it really is a marketing concept. When you think about discounting, you need to think how this discount compares to other marketing opportunities like promoting your products on your blog, offering free gifts, or purchasing ads in online and printed media pieces. A discount is just another way to entice a customer to buy. In theory, a discount or sale promotion is intended to be all about action or an immediate sale.

Discounts are mostly used in four situations. One of them is to induce trial. If you are introducing a new product or you are entering a new marketplace, one way to entice customers to try your product is to have an introductory price or a limited time discount. Another situation is when you want to encourage additional sales. This type of discount is when you lower the price for an additional item like, “ buy one get the second one half off.” Discounts also work in supporting volume sales. You can encourage other resellers to stock your products. Last but not least, you can use discounts to reward your top customers.

Here are a few ways you can implement your discounting strategy: • Direct price discounting – offer a discount to the normal selling price • Free shipping – if you sell online, offer your customers free shipping • Offer Coupons – add a coupon in the shipping package to encourage repeat buying, or include a coupon in a promotional item • Gift with Purchase – this is not just for the makeup industry. Sometimes referred to as “premium promotion”, this is when you include a freebie with your customers purchase.

Now that you understand your costs, you learned how to stay competitive, and you are ready to offer discounts, your business is up to speed and prepared for the holiday shopping spree. Remember to always be truthful about your products and keep your customers happy.

 

 

 

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Scrapbook Ideas

Even if you don't have a creative bone in your body, you can still come up with something which is pleasing to the eye when making a scrapbook.

Just go with whatever it is that you feel like doing, have fun or do it with somebody else – a friend or a younger member of the family.

You can look at samples online or have a scrapbooking enthusiast show you his or her work. Then you can gather concepts to apply when you make your own.

Here are some great ideas for you to use when making the ultimate scrapbook:

1. Album You can buy these online or at a local crafts store. The album that you choose will dictate the overall design of the album so take your time in picking one.

Look at the material used in the paper. If you plan to make a collage and include heavier materials, look for a thicker paper. The regular thickness of craft paper will do if you just want to stick many different photos in your scrapbook.

There are various sizes to choose from, beginning from a letter-size album which is 8 ½” x 11” or the smaller square-sized paper of 6” or 8”.

For a smaller format, you can use just one or two pictures to showcase on each page and just add on embellishments.

2. Themes Look around you and you will surely find an inspiration when it comes to the theme of your scrapbook.

The weather is one example, look for a bright-orange or yellow-based color. Then, you could cut out photos of sunflowers and loop a yellow yarn and glue it on to represent the sun.

 

Next, paste the pictures on the pages of your scrapbook and finish up with writing a personalized quote or paste a clipping from a newspaper. Glue on additional memorabilia of a different medium then your scrapbook is as good as gold.

3. Borders You can use the same theme for the borders as the page itself or the borders of the photos.

Pasting a picture on top of a paper which will serve as your border will add depth to your scrapbook layout.

You can also cut a big shape then inscribe another shape or pattern – like a square inscribed in a circle, then place the photo underneath the border.

4. Design and Layout You can either go with the theme and coordinate it with the design or make a completely different design altogether.

Within the layout, you can go with the standard photos or memorabilia items in the middle or you can put them on either side of the page.

 

Liza has written a various of articles on scrapbooking, including Scrapbooking Idea , scrapbook and more

 

 

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The Best Scrapbook Materials

Scrapbooking is one of the newest hobbies sweeping the country. One out of four people in the average household is involved in golf, one out of three is involved in scrapbooking. Scrapbooking is a great hobby; it releases the creative side of your personality and lets you keep memories at the same time.

Choosing the materials to use in your scrapbook is also one of the exciting parts in making one. Here are some tips that you can consider in making sure that the materials you have are perfect.

Experiment and expand your creativity The best thing about scrapbooking is its personalization. There are no limits if you have a creative mind, even old tattered jeans can be used in your design. Just make sure that you have a general theme. Don't dispel items that most scrapbookers aren't using, who knows you might be the one to start a trend?

Significance Since you are making a personal scrapbook, the best materials that you can use are the ones that have significance in your life. Remember the first ticket concert that your husband bought for you? Putting it in your scrapbook adds some romance and memory. If you’re making one for your child, you can even put some of the hair from his or her first haircut. The options are endless.

Preservation Ensure your materials can be preserved for many years to come. Most people make scrapbooks to remember events and people, so it’s definitely a plus if you make sure that the materials you will use can be preserved. Make sure inks don't fade easily and your papers are acid free. Read about ways you can improve the preservation of materials to ensure they will last long.

Shop Scrapbooking has become so popular that most stores have it in a seperate section. Visit a local store and you can be sure that there will be plenty of material to choose from. They are also releasing designs and materials in kits. All you have to do is buy one design kit, and your scrapbook will all be set for production.

Browse Browsing the internet for tips on materials is also one of the best ways to get quick information. There are many sites that give instructions on how you can create your own materials. Some of them even offer products that are definitely useful for your scrapbooking.

There are tons of materials that you can use on your scrapbook. There are no cardinal rules that will stop you from choosing almost anything. Just be sure that the materials will last over time and it agrees with your whole concept. Enjoy designing!

 

Liza has written a various of articles on scrapbooking, including Scrapbook Supply , scrapbook and more

 

 

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DIY Scrapbooking Tips

Vacations and out-of-town trips provide opportunities to take photos. Aside from these, everyone has to deal with birthday celebrations, wedding anniversaries, Halloween parties and Thanksgiving get togethers. After all the festivities, most people are left with stacks of photographs and memories tucked away in the attic to be organized later.

Due to the popularity of scrapbooking, many people have taken up the hobby as a way to preserve their memories. While some go order ready-made custom designs from the internet, most have taken the DIY or do-it-yourself route, which is more fulfilling.

There are thousands of websites that offer ready-made materials for your scrapbook. DIY scrapbook enthusiasts prefer creating decorations from scratch. This way, they are sure that the designs for their scrapbooks are unique and personal.

While some DIY-ers create designs from normal colored paper, tape and markers, some take it a step further by using natural material such as leaves, dried and pressed flowers, rocks, wire, egg shells, and the like.

Though you are only limited by your creativity when designing your personal diary, there are some considerations for the diarist who prefers to preserve his memories using photographs.

1. Use acid-free, PVC-free and photo-safe paper Many companies put "acid-free" on the label to indicate that it can be used to for a scrapbook. Paper that is not acid-free fade fast, and may not be safe to be used with photographs. Acid can lead to the yellowing and deterioration of photographs.

2. You can print straight from the computer Those who are not too confident of their designing skills can use their PCs to design their layouts, but it is important to note that not all printers can be used to print the designs. Non-laser printers use ink that is water-soluble, which may bleed into the paper. It is therefore advised that you use laser or ink-jet printers in printing custom designs, or to use printers sparingly to minimize deterioration of scrapbook pages.

3. Use of materials which are not photo-safe Again, while there is no cut-and-dried rule regarding the use of materials which aren't photo-safe, it is advised that they be used sparingly. There is an invention called an Archival Spray, though, that will let anyone create photo-safe and acid-free decorations for scrapbooks. It is inexpensive and works like a spray laminate. The Archival Spray is useful if you wants to include brochues, menus, and tickets in the layout.

Font-free scrapbooking A font is described as a digital typeface. Therefore it follows that font-free scrapbooking is creating a scrapbook without the use of a computer.

It is relatively easy to create a scrapbook page using downloaded and printed fonts, but it would be more personal and unique to write journal-style entries for your scrapbook. There are some who aren't confident with their penmanship, though, but with the popularity of scrapbooking, they can now choose from wide selection of templates and stickers to create great-looking pages.

There are four basic items that a scrapbooker can use if he or she wishes to do a font-free scrapbook.

1. Templates You can choose from several variations of alphabet templates. They are available in different sizes, and you just need to select the most appropriate template for your scrapbook. Once you have selected a theme, you can layout the page first and trace the letters from the template using a pencil. After making sure that you have created a good layout, you can then use a marker with archival quality ink to trace the letters permanently.

2. Stickers There are several companies that produce letter stickers that you can use for the scrapbook. Some companies create sets of words for theme pages, such as "It's my birthday," or "Graduation day," for the more common themes. All you have to do is select the design to match the theme in mind and stick the labels in the appropriate places. It should be mentioned though that not all companies produce acid-free stickers, so you should check the label for "acid-free."

3. Stamps Stamps are created in a variety of designs. Most stamps also use archival-quality ink in different colors. You need to make sure that you are using acid-free paper for the photos and the stamp designs, because even if you are using scrapbook-safe ink, the paper may easily deteriorate and become brittle if it is not photo-safe or acid-free.

4. Die-cut designs Similar to stickers, die-cut designs are glued onto the scrapbook page. There are several die-cut designs available online. The designs are printed on thin sheets of paper, plastic, or thin rubber matting, and you only need to cut the design and paste it onto the scrapbook page.

While these materials are easily available online and at various arts & crafts stores nationwide, you can also "go commando" and write your entries using markers or special pens to make your scrapbooks more special.

 

Liza has written a various of articles on scrapbooking, including Wedding scrapbook , scrapbook and more

 

 

 

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Make Personalized Christmas Photo Cards and Brighten Up Somebody's Day

 

Personalized Christmas photo cards can brighten up somebody's day and so can receiving a card perk you up and appreciate that someone cares. Most of the corporate greeting cards have a simple photo or animation in the front and inside the card, there is a nice quotation on Christmas. Such cards can be given to employees, associates and other business acquaintances. Glue the photo to one of the card stock pieces and attach the two pieces together by punching a hole at the top and tying them together with ribbon. You can also just fold a piece of card stock in half and embellish it with a Christmas-themed stamp or border (found at craft stores)

Every year we do the same thing with the Christmas cards we mail. Our friends and families love getting pictures of all us, especially the ones that haven't seen us in awhile. Also you don't want to be late with your cards so buy them each year after Christmas when all the sales are on. You will be able to pick up some beautiful cards at less than half price This is a great way to make a really good impression and make everyone on your card list feel extra special with a specially nice card.

A touch of personal warmth can be added to any card by hand signing using a metallic gold pen or look for elegant envelope seals in our Greeting Card Extras section to add that final, elegant touch to your Personalized Christmas Cards. Whether you choose a single image card or create a collage of memories, Christmas photo Greeting Cards are perfect for everyone on your list because they are thoughtful and personal.

Here are some of my favorite resources that I'd like to share with you for this holiday season.

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With these great tools, you'll have plenty of time to send gifts to your loved ones before Christmas.

Did you find this article helpful? click the link below to know more great Christmas ideas

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