The Relationship Cure: A 5 Step Guide to Strengthening Your Marriage, Family, and Friendships
Lots of people go through their whole life convinced that they do not like sandwiches, and this is simply because they have never tasted a truly great sandwich. Sandwiches are, of course, excellent for the fact that they are easy to make and are also easy to bring with you wherever you go. Sandwiches are great for lunch, for snacks, and - if you know how to make a really mean sandwich - they're great for dinner as well! If you always thought that a sandwich was nothing more than some meet tossed onto some breat, you have thought wrong! The most important foundational block of a sandwich is the quality of the materials you use to make it. Although you will spend a bit of extra money if you shop at a store such as Whole Foods for your sandwich materials, you will also taste the difference from this extra money spent. You will experience a much fresher and fuller taste from organic meats and bread than you will experience from something that costs less but has been overprocessed. The taste of your sandwich will also be much improved if you go with organically grown vegetables when you construct your daily masterpiece. Another important consideration is the way in which you moisten your sandwich, which is vital, as sandwiches can sometimes be dry. Whether you use something as simple as mayo or salad dressing, or something more exotic such as oil and vinegar, remember that a good sandwich should go down easy, instead of sticking to the roof of your mouth! And of course, it is important for you to know exactly what flavors go well together if you want to construct a great sandwich. Purchasing a cookbook for sandwiches might seem like a silly thing to do, but once you pick up a copy of a book such as 'wichcraft: Craft a Sandwich into a Meal--And a Meal into a Sandwich, you will understand what a difference this can make! Once you learn how to make great sandwiches, they will be a great addition to your lunch, snacks, and even dinner; first, however, you need good materials, something tasty to moisten your sandwich with, and a cookbook that gives you the tips and tricks!
Sunday, 30 November 2014
Saturday, 29 November 2014
Tips For Encouraging Your Children To Do Well In School
The Relationship Cure: A 5 Step Guide to Strengthening Your Marriage, Family, and Friendships
Most parents have a desire for their children to do well in school, but many parents fail to realize that they can actually have a huge say in whether or not this desire becomes a reality; if you have children (especially if you have young children!), or if you are hoping to have children soon, here are a few things you can keep in mind in order to increase the chances of them doing well in school. A lot of parents face the problem that they have children who think of learning as a task, instead of thinking of it as fun, and while you might think this is a natural reaction for children to have to learning, this is actually not the case; most humans - including young people - have an intrinsic desire to learn, so when you emphasize this desire early on - making learning something that is fun for your children, rather than something that is a task - this attitude will carry over as they enter into school. Those times when it feels like learning is just too hard is another thing that causes children to lose interest in learning; you should make sure you are always helping your children with anything they are having problems with in order to combat this - and even though you might not know some of the things yourself, your guiding hand can still help these things to be easier for your children to grasp and understand! And one of the most important things to realize, when it comes to encouraging your children to do well in school, is that each child is gifted in certain areas, and is likely to struggle in other areas; take the time to recognize which areas your child has a harder time in, as this will allow you to reward them for hard work rather than just for grades - recognizing that sometimes, a "B" in a certain class will be even more of an accomplishment for your child than an "A" in another! When you are able to reinforce the feeling in your child that learning is fun, when you take the time to help them with their work, and when you understand how to reward them for hard work rather than simply for results, you will be well on your way to having children who do well in school - just as you dreamed they would!
Most parents have a desire for their children to do well in school, but many parents fail to realize that they can actually have a huge say in whether or not this desire becomes a reality; if you have children (especially if you have young children!), or if you are hoping to have children soon, here are a few things you can keep in mind in order to increase the chances of them doing well in school. A lot of parents face the problem that they have children who think of learning as a task, instead of thinking of it as fun, and while you might think this is a natural reaction for children to have to learning, this is actually not the case; most humans - including young people - have an intrinsic desire to learn, so when you emphasize this desire early on - making learning something that is fun for your children, rather than something that is a task - this attitude will carry over as they enter into school. Those times when it feels like learning is just too hard is another thing that causes children to lose interest in learning; you should make sure you are always helping your children with anything they are having problems with in order to combat this - and even though you might not know some of the things yourself, your guiding hand can still help these things to be easier for your children to grasp and understand! And one of the most important things to realize, when it comes to encouraging your children to do well in school, is that each child is gifted in certain areas, and is likely to struggle in other areas; take the time to recognize which areas your child has a harder time in, as this will allow you to reward them for hard work rather than just for grades - recognizing that sometimes, a "B" in a certain class will be even more of an accomplishment for your child than an "A" in another! When you are able to reinforce the feeling in your child that learning is fun, when you take the time to help them with their work, and when you understand how to reward them for hard work rather than simply for results, you will be well on your way to having children who do well in school - just as you dreamed they would!
Friday, 28 November 2014
How To "Get Out Of The House" When You Need To, Without Spending Money
The Relationship Cure: A 5 Step Guide to Strengthening Your Marriage, Family, and Friendships
Sometimes you cannot help but feel that you simply need to "get out of the house" - and this is especially the case for those who either work from home or spend most of their time at home. One of the problems with "getting out of the house," however is the fact that getting out of the house also usually entails spending money - either at a coffee shop, or at a deli, even on gas as you drive and drive to help yourself unwind! Going for a walk is one of the best ways to "get out of the house" without spending money; by going for a walk, you can unwind in much the same way you would by driving around, but you can walk around your neighborhood and spend no money on gas, or you can drive to a nearby park or forest and only have to drive a short way. A lot of people are also able to unwind quite well by exercising; you can exercise by going for a jog, or - if you have gym membership - you can drive there and get in a workout to relieve you of your tension. Of course, sometimes, the last thing you want is some physical exertion; if this is the case, you can still "get out of the house" without spending money by driving to that same park where you would go for a walk, but by reading a book or lounging in the sun instead! And finally, try to find a relaxing, "out of the house" activity that you enjoy doing - something such as painting, or photography, or fishing - and whenever you need to get out of your house for a bit, you can find a peaceful spot where you can engage in this hobby. When the tension of being home all day has started to build up, it can be nice to get out of the house; it can be even nicer, however, to get out of the house without having to spend money, and when you follow these tips, you will be able to do exactly that!
Sometimes you cannot help but feel that you simply need to "get out of the house" - and this is especially the case for those who either work from home or spend most of their time at home. One of the problems with "getting out of the house," however is the fact that getting out of the house also usually entails spending money - either at a coffee shop, or at a deli, even on gas as you drive and drive to help yourself unwind! Going for a walk is one of the best ways to "get out of the house" without spending money; by going for a walk, you can unwind in much the same way you would by driving around, but you can walk around your neighborhood and spend no money on gas, or you can drive to a nearby park or forest and only have to drive a short way. A lot of people are also able to unwind quite well by exercising; you can exercise by going for a jog, or - if you have gym membership - you can drive there and get in a workout to relieve you of your tension. Of course, sometimes, the last thing you want is some physical exertion; if this is the case, you can still "get out of the house" without spending money by driving to that same park where you would go for a walk, but by reading a book or lounging in the sun instead! And finally, try to find a relaxing, "out of the house" activity that you enjoy doing - something such as painting, or photography, or fishing - and whenever you need to get out of your house for a bit, you can find a peaceful spot where you can engage in this hobby. When the tension of being home all day has started to build up, it can be nice to get out of the house; it can be even nicer, however, to get out of the house without having to spend money, and when you follow these tips, you will be able to do exactly that!
Thursday, 27 November 2014
Tips For Brainstorming New Ideas
The Relationship Cure: A 5 Step Guide to Strengthening Your Marriage, Family, and Friendships
Depending on what line of work you are in, you may find yourself in a position where you are constantly having to come up with new ideas, or you may find yourself in this position quite rarely; regardless of which side of this you fall on, however, one thing that is true is that most people have a need at some point in their work or personal life to come up with ideas - and understanding the things you can do in order to make this an easier process will go a long way in helping you. Personal brainstorming is the type of brainstorming you are most likely to find yourself having to do; when it comes to personal brainstorming, you will often find that the best thing you can do is separate yourself from distractions - going for a walk, or doing something similarly relaxing where you can simply focus on the mental hurdle at hand. Another type of brainstorming you are likely to be faced with often - especially with work - and one that can be much more difficult to manage, is group brainstorming; the key to group brainstorming is to give validity to every idea that is proposed, as each individual has their own unique creative process, and you never know what proposed idea (no matter how absurd!) might lead to in someone else's mind. And finally, one thing that is extremely important to learn about brainstorming is that subconscious brainstorming is among the best ways to achieve results; when you are working toward brainstorming on a particular project, get in the habit of planting the seed of the obstacle in your head, and ruminating over this obstacle in the back of your mind throughout your day! When you gain a good grasp of these basic elements of brainstorming, it will become a whole lot easier for you to successfully move from "brainstorming" to "idea development" when you are faced with this task at last - regardless of whether it is in work or in your personal life, and regardless of whether your brainstorming takes place alone or with others!
Depending on what line of work you are in, you may find yourself in a position where you are constantly having to come up with new ideas, or you may find yourself in this position quite rarely; regardless of which side of this you fall on, however, one thing that is true is that most people have a need at some point in their work or personal life to come up with ideas - and understanding the things you can do in order to make this an easier process will go a long way in helping you. Personal brainstorming is the type of brainstorming you are most likely to find yourself having to do; when it comes to personal brainstorming, you will often find that the best thing you can do is separate yourself from distractions - going for a walk, or doing something similarly relaxing where you can simply focus on the mental hurdle at hand. Another type of brainstorming you are likely to be faced with often - especially with work - and one that can be much more difficult to manage, is group brainstorming; the key to group brainstorming is to give validity to every idea that is proposed, as each individual has their own unique creative process, and you never know what proposed idea (no matter how absurd!) might lead to in someone else's mind. And finally, one thing that is extremely important to learn about brainstorming is that subconscious brainstorming is among the best ways to achieve results; when you are working toward brainstorming on a particular project, get in the habit of planting the seed of the obstacle in your head, and ruminating over this obstacle in the back of your mind throughout your day! When you gain a good grasp of these basic elements of brainstorming, it will become a whole lot easier for you to successfully move from "brainstorming" to "idea development" when you are faced with this task at last - regardless of whether it is in work or in your personal life, and regardless of whether your brainstorming takes place alone or with others!
Wednesday, 26 November 2014
How To Build And Enjoy A Beach Bonfire
The Relationship Cure: A 5 Step Guide to Strengthening Your Marriage, Family, and Friendships
A day at the beach can provide you with lots of different ways to have fun, but at the end of a long day at the beach, one of the best things of all that you can do - better even than just about anything you can do during the day at the beach - is to build a bonfire and sit around it enjoying the sounds of the ocean and the feel of the night with a group of people you enjoy. Of course, having the right people together and sitting on the beach at night is good enough in and of itself, but if you are wanting to build and enjoy a bonfire to maximize your "night on the beach" experience, here are a few tips to keep in mind. Once you have made certain you will not get in trouble with the authorities for building a bonfire on the beach in question (after all, it is no fun to get your bonfire busted by the police!), you will want to dig a pit in the sand about a foot deep, and then you will want to find enough rocks that you can build a ring of rocks around this fire pit, as this will ensure that the fire remains contained. Your next step will be stacking the wood and getting the fire going; when you are building a bonfire on the beach, the best way to stack the wood is in a teepee shape, adding kindling in the middle of the wood to get the fire going. You can roast marshmallows and other food over your bonfire in order to have fun, or you can simply enjoy the fire and enjoy the ocean and enjoy the company of your friends - but also, you will need to remember that the night does not end when the conversation ends, as you will also need to put out the fire completely before you leave its side. By paying attention to all these steps, you will be able to enjoy a bonfire on the beach - in a legal, effective, and (best of all!) safe manner.
A day at the beach can provide you with lots of different ways to have fun, but at the end of a long day at the beach, one of the best things of all that you can do - better even than just about anything you can do during the day at the beach - is to build a bonfire and sit around it enjoying the sounds of the ocean and the feel of the night with a group of people you enjoy. Of course, having the right people together and sitting on the beach at night is good enough in and of itself, but if you are wanting to build and enjoy a bonfire to maximize your "night on the beach" experience, here are a few tips to keep in mind. Once you have made certain you will not get in trouble with the authorities for building a bonfire on the beach in question (after all, it is no fun to get your bonfire busted by the police!), you will want to dig a pit in the sand about a foot deep, and then you will want to find enough rocks that you can build a ring of rocks around this fire pit, as this will ensure that the fire remains contained. Your next step will be stacking the wood and getting the fire going; when you are building a bonfire on the beach, the best way to stack the wood is in a teepee shape, adding kindling in the middle of the wood to get the fire going. You can roast marshmallows and other food over your bonfire in order to have fun, or you can simply enjoy the fire and enjoy the ocean and enjoy the company of your friends - but also, you will need to remember that the night does not end when the conversation ends, as you will also need to put out the fire completely before you leave its side. By paying attention to all these steps, you will be able to enjoy a bonfire on the beach - in a legal, effective, and (best of all!) safe manner.
Tuesday, 25 November 2014
How To Stay Active On Vacation
The Relationship Cure: A 5 Step Guide to Strengthening Your Marriage, Family, and Friendships
For the most part, one of the main reasons people go on vacation is because they need to unwind and relax for a bit, but one mistake many people make in their efforts to unwind and relax is that they end up sleeping so much on their vacation that they hardly get anything out of it – and furthermore, because they have been giving their body more sleep than it is used to, they end up feeling sluggish all throughout the vacation, and this carries over into their everyday lives, which makes the vacation a whole lot less valuable than they intended it to be! The first thing you should realize when it comes to staying active on vacation is that keeping something of a normal schedule will actually help you get a lot more out of your vacation than you would otherwise get; you should not take this to mean that you cannot sleep in at all, but you should try to minimize the amount of extra sleep you are getting, which will keep you much more energized during your vacation – and will also keep you much more energized when you return from vacation.
Another important thing is that you realize that “relaxing” does not have to mean “doing nothing”; one of the best things you can do in order to get the most out of your vacation is actually get out of the place where you are staying, taking time to explore the surroundings, see the sites, and interact with the people with whom you're vacationing and the people who live where you are vacationing! And perhaps one of the best ways of all to maximize your vacation is to stay active within your mind as well; make sure you're not using your vacation time to just sit around and watch movies or television, but instead, use your vacation time to read some books you have been wanting to read, to work on puzzles, to play games, or to do anything else that you enjoy allowing your mind to wander and do! You will get a lot more out of your vacation when you take this approach – that is, you will get a lot more relaxation, and will have a lot more fun!
For the most part, one of the main reasons people go on vacation is because they need to unwind and relax for a bit, but one mistake many people make in their efforts to unwind and relax is that they end up sleeping so much on their vacation that they hardly get anything out of it – and furthermore, because they have been giving their body more sleep than it is used to, they end up feeling sluggish all throughout the vacation, and this carries over into their everyday lives, which makes the vacation a whole lot less valuable than they intended it to be! The first thing you should realize when it comes to staying active on vacation is that keeping something of a normal schedule will actually help you get a lot more out of your vacation than you would otherwise get; you should not take this to mean that you cannot sleep in at all, but you should try to minimize the amount of extra sleep you are getting, which will keep you much more energized during your vacation – and will also keep you much more energized when you return from vacation.
Monday, 24 November 2014
Keeping Yourself From Spending Over Your Budget
The Relationship Cure: A 5 Step Guide to Strengthening Your Marriage, Family, and Friendships
When people set a budget, most of them do so with good intentions, and they may even stick to their budget for a little while, feeling great about how well they are doing, but eventually, most people who have set a budget for their money end up straying away from it - first a bit, and then a bit more - until they are no longer on track at all; of course, with any budget, discipline will be the biggest key to sticking with the budget, as you can pull all the tricks you want and still not stick to the budget you have set if you do not have the discipline to do so, but there certainly are some tricks that can help you stick to your budget as well. When it comes to helping you stick to your budget, one of the most drastic tricks - but certainly one of the most effective as well - is for you to get rid of your credit cards; when you have credit cards, this is often an invitation for you to spend more money than you actually have, assuming that everything will work out given enough time, but when you do not have any credit cards, it will make it much more difficult for you to spend money that you do not actually have! Another way to help yourself stick to your budget is by going with the "envelope system"; this system calls for you to keep your entire budget for the month in cash, in labeled envelopes in your house, only spending the cash you have in that envelope for each specific area of your budget each month, and while this still can invite you to snatch some cash from one envelope to pay for something in another category, it is certainly a great start for forcing you to spend only what you have in each category each month. And a lot of people find that saving money is easier when they are saving for something specific, or that they are wanting to spend their money on. When you are saving toward something specific or have something you are wanting to use your spending money on, this will help to prevent you from wasting money from your budget on all the little things that can combine together to bleed your budget so quickly!
When people set a budget, most of them do so with good intentions, and they may even stick to their budget for a little while, feeling great about how well they are doing, but eventually, most people who have set a budget for their money end up straying away from it - first a bit, and then a bit more - until they are no longer on track at all; of course, with any budget, discipline will be the biggest key to sticking with the budget, as you can pull all the tricks you want and still not stick to the budget you have set if you do not have the discipline to do so, but there certainly are some tricks that can help you stick to your budget as well. When it comes to helping you stick to your budget, one of the most drastic tricks - but certainly one of the most effective as well - is for you to get rid of your credit cards; when you have credit cards, this is often an invitation for you to spend more money than you actually have, assuming that everything will work out given enough time, but when you do not have any credit cards, it will make it much more difficult for you to spend money that you do not actually have! Another way to help yourself stick to your budget is by going with the "envelope system"; this system calls for you to keep your entire budget for the month in cash, in labeled envelopes in your house, only spending the cash you have in that envelope for each specific area of your budget each month, and while this still can invite you to snatch some cash from one envelope to pay for something in another category, it is certainly a great start for forcing you to spend only what you have in each category each month. And a lot of people find that saving money is easier when they are saving for something specific, or that they are wanting to spend their money on. When you are saving toward something specific or have something you are wanting to use your spending money on, this will help to prevent you from wasting money from your budget on all the little things that can combine together to bleed your budget so quickly!
Sunday, 23 November 2014
How To Learn In School, Instead Of Just "Remembering"
The Relationship Cure: A 5 Step Guide to Strengthening Your Marriage, Family, and Friendships
When it comes to school, one obstacle a lot of people face is that they have a hard time on tests, or in other challenges where their knowledge is supposed to be tested, but what many people fail to realize is that a big part of the reason for this is the fact that they are trying to "remember" things that they are supposed to know, instead of trying to learn them; when you remember things, they will only be in your head long enough for you to answer questions on a test, but when you learn things, they will stay with you - and you will have no problem facing these questions on a test! Always paying close attention when the knowledge is being given in class is the first key to "learning" things; when information is being disseminated in class, rather than simply listening in a vague sense, strive to be an active listener - taking notes and paying close attention to every little thing that is said, as this will help you retain the knowledge later on. Studying with the goal of learning, rather than with the goal of remembering, is the second key to learning; this means that you will not be trying to remember facts - testing yourself on these facts as you go along - but instead, it means that you will continually go through the information you are supposed to be remembering, until you fully grasp it by repetition. And when you begin "studying" for a test, you can make flash cards that contain all the things you are supposed to have learned, and can put these flash cards to use in order to make sure you have retained all the knowledge you hope to have retained for the test. Regardless of what level of schooling you find yourself in, the key to succeeding will be that you are focused on "learning" things, instead of being focused on remembering things - and when you take this approach to your learning and your studying, you will have no problem achieving this goal!
When it comes to school, one obstacle a lot of people face is that they have a hard time on tests, or in other challenges where their knowledge is supposed to be tested, but what many people fail to realize is that a big part of the reason for this is the fact that they are trying to "remember" things that they are supposed to know, instead of trying to learn them; when you remember things, they will only be in your head long enough for you to answer questions on a test, but when you learn things, they will stay with you - and you will have no problem facing these questions on a test! Always paying close attention when the knowledge is being given in class is the first key to "learning" things; when information is being disseminated in class, rather than simply listening in a vague sense, strive to be an active listener - taking notes and paying close attention to every little thing that is said, as this will help you retain the knowledge later on. Studying with the goal of learning, rather than with the goal of remembering, is the second key to learning; this means that you will not be trying to remember facts - testing yourself on these facts as you go along - but instead, it means that you will continually go through the information you are supposed to be remembering, until you fully grasp it by repetition. And when you begin "studying" for a test, you can make flash cards that contain all the things you are supposed to have learned, and can put these flash cards to use in order to make sure you have retained all the knowledge you hope to have retained for the test. Regardless of what level of schooling you find yourself in, the key to succeeding will be that you are focused on "learning" things, instead of being focused on remembering things - and when you take this approach to your learning and your studying, you will have no problem achieving this goal!
Saturday, 22 November 2014
Finding Times And Places For Knitting
The Relationship Cure: A 5 Step Guide to Strengthening Your Marriage, Family, and Friendships
Knitting is one hobby that many people find that they enjoy, as it enables them to be productive even while they are doing other things; while some people start out knitting in order to be productive while doing other things, however, many of these same people end up falling so deeply in love with knitting that they are unable to find as many times for knitting as they would like. If you have found that you have thoroughly enjoyed knitting since you started, and have been looking for more times during which you can get some knitting done, here are a few ideas for you to keep in mind. "While watching a movie" is one of the best times to get some knitting done; the great thing about knitting is that you can bring it with you anywhere – so even if you have gone out to see a movie in the theaters, you can bring all your knitting stuff with you and get some knitting done! Another thing that gives you lots of opportunities for knitting is travel; whether you are on a boat, in the passenger seat of a car, on an airplane, or on just about anything else, you can keep those knitting needles busy all the time! And it is likely that one of the reasons why you enjoy knitting (if, of course, you do enjoy knitting!) is that you feel it is relaxing; you can take advantage of this by enhancing your relaxation time with knitting – so if you are relaxing in your backyard for an evening, hanging out by the pool, or even just resting on the couch, you can keep your hands busy and keep right on knitting. You will continue to become better at knitting as you continue to do more knitting – and of course, the better you become at knitting, the more rewarding it will be; so keep these tips in mind, and continue knitting all the time!
Knitting is one hobby that many people find that they enjoy, as it enables them to be productive even while they are doing other things; while some people start out knitting in order to be productive while doing other things, however, many of these same people end up falling so deeply in love with knitting that they are unable to find as many times for knitting as they would like. If you have found that you have thoroughly enjoyed knitting since you started, and have been looking for more times during which you can get some knitting done, here are a few ideas for you to keep in mind. "While watching a movie" is one of the best times to get some knitting done; the great thing about knitting is that you can bring it with you anywhere – so even if you have gone out to see a movie in the theaters, you can bring all your knitting stuff with you and get some knitting done! Another thing that gives you lots of opportunities for knitting is travel; whether you are on a boat, in the passenger seat of a car, on an airplane, or on just about anything else, you can keep those knitting needles busy all the time! And it is likely that one of the reasons why you enjoy knitting (if, of course, you do enjoy knitting!) is that you feel it is relaxing; you can take advantage of this by enhancing your relaxation time with knitting – so if you are relaxing in your backyard for an evening, hanging out by the pool, or even just resting on the couch, you can keep your hands busy and keep right on knitting. You will continue to become better at knitting as you continue to do more knitting – and of course, the better you become at knitting, the more rewarding it will be; so keep these tips in mind, and continue knitting all the time!
Friday, 21 November 2014
A Look At Great Television Shows For Fans Of British Humor
The Relationship Cure: A 5 Step Guide to Strengthening Your Marriage, Family, and Friendships
Most people fully understand the fact that British humor is not quite the same as American humor, as it is much more dry and at times even much more coarse, but while some Americans find that British humor does not especially appeal to them, others find that British Humor is a fantastic source of laughter; if you are a fan of British humor, here are two British shows and one American show worth diving into. One of the most popular shows on American television over the last several years has been The Office, but before The Office was a popular show here in the States, it was a popular British show; the UK version of The Office contains only 14 total episodes, but in these episodes is packed so much humor, you will be able to enjoy them again and again! If you enjoy workplace humor, but with a bigger taste of the absurd than you would find in The Office, another show worth checking out is The IT Crowd, which centers around the lives of a couple misfit IT guys at a big company in London; the success of this show has led to plenty of Hollywood exposure for the two stars - but those who love The IT Crowd will always remember them for their roles on the show! And one show that did not quite make it in the States, but would have done swell in the UK, was Arrested Development; this show starred the likes of Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, Michael Cera, David Cross, and Jeffrey Tambor, and was narrated by Ron Howard - and though the show ultimately failed, its subsequent (and continued) success through DVD sales has led to an upcoming 10-episode "years later" season that will be aired on Netflix, and will be followed by a movie! If you are always on the lookout for new ways to get your fix of British-style humor in the States, any of these three shows will give you exactly what you need!
Most people fully understand the fact that British humor is not quite the same as American humor, as it is much more dry and at times even much more coarse, but while some Americans find that British humor does not especially appeal to them, others find that British Humor is a fantastic source of laughter; if you are a fan of British humor, here are two British shows and one American show worth diving into. One of the most popular shows on American television over the last several years has been The Office, but before The Office was a popular show here in the States, it was a popular British show; the UK version of The Office contains only 14 total episodes, but in these episodes is packed so much humor, you will be able to enjoy them again and again! If you enjoy workplace humor, but with a bigger taste of the absurd than you would find in The Office, another show worth checking out is The IT Crowd, which centers around the lives of a couple misfit IT guys at a big company in London; the success of this show has led to plenty of Hollywood exposure for the two stars - but those who love The IT Crowd will always remember them for their roles on the show! And one show that did not quite make it in the States, but would have done swell in the UK, was Arrested Development; this show starred the likes of Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, Michael Cera, David Cross, and Jeffrey Tambor, and was narrated by Ron Howard - and though the show ultimately failed, its subsequent (and continued) success through DVD sales has led to an upcoming 10-episode "years later" season that will be aired on Netflix, and will be followed by a movie! If you are always on the lookout for new ways to get your fix of British-style humor in the States, any of these three shows will give you exactly what you need!
Thursday, 20 November 2014
Building Your Own Picture Frames
The Relationship Cure: A 5 Step Guide to Strengthening Your Marriage, Family, and Friendships
If you are the type of person who really enjoys photography but hates to purchase frames for them because the frames are so bloody expensive, then you should consider making your own mats and frames. Believe it or not with the correct material making your own frames really isn’t that hard and it can save you a buck or two. Molding that you can purchase in the store can make great frames if you learn how to do it correctly. You will need to measure the picture you wish to frame. Chair rail is very decorative and works great as a frame. When you have picked out the board you wish to use, you will need to take a router and cut out a notch along the entire length of the board. This is the notch the glass lays into, once the frame is complete. Once you have that complete you will need to cut a 45 degree angle from both ends with a miter box and saw. This will give your frames that great mitered look on the edges. Once you have that completed you can mock up the frame to make sure it is the correct size. If you need to make adjustments, this is the time to fix them before the frame is put together. With some wood glud and a picture frame miter clamp, you can put the frame together. This will keep the frame together as the glue dries. You can also get a small set of finishing nails to help stabilize the joints at this time also. Then you will need to measure the dimensions of the area you notched out for the glass to sit. This will give you an exact measurement of how to cut the glass. You can simply cut your glass with a glasscutting tool, or if you don't feel comfortable there are a number of shops which will do it as well. Once this is done put the glass and your picture into the frame. Cut a piece of cardboard out to the same size as the glass and place over the picture to make a sandwich between the glass and the cardboard. The last step is to put the nails around the inside edges to keep the picture in place.
If you are the type of person who really enjoys photography but hates to purchase frames for them because the frames are so bloody expensive, then you should consider making your own mats and frames. Believe it or not with the correct material making your own frames really isn’t that hard and it can save you a buck or two. Molding that you can purchase in the store can make great frames if you learn how to do it correctly. You will need to measure the picture you wish to frame. Chair rail is very decorative and works great as a frame. When you have picked out the board you wish to use, you will need to take a router and cut out a notch along the entire length of the board. This is the notch the glass lays into, once the frame is complete. Once you have that complete you will need to cut a 45 degree angle from both ends with a miter box and saw. This will give your frames that great mitered look on the edges. Once you have that completed you can mock up the frame to make sure it is the correct size. If you need to make adjustments, this is the time to fix them before the frame is put together. With some wood glud and a picture frame miter clamp, you can put the frame together. This will keep the frame together as the glue dries. You can also get a small set of finishing nails to help stabilize the joints at this time also. Then you will need to measure the dimensions of the area you notched out for the glass to sit. This will give you an exact measurement of how to cut the glass. You can simply cut your glass with a glasscutting tool, or if you don't feel comfortable there are a number of shops which will do it as well. Once this is done put the glass and your picture into the frame. Cut a piece of cardboard out to the same size as the glass and place over the picture to make a sandwich between the glass and the cardboard. The last step is to put the nails around the inside edges to keep the picture in place.
Wednesday, 19 November 2014
Getting Your Children To Play Outside During The Summer
The Relationship Cure: A 5 Step Guide to Strengthening Your Marriage, Family, and Friendships
Now that summer is nearly here, your kids will soon be out of school and will be spending most of their time around the house; but of course, as parents, your goal (for both your children's health, and for your own sanity!) is probably for your children to be spending much of this extra time outside, rather than in the house! With the television and the internet holding a monopoly on the attention of most children, it can be more difficult to get them to spend their summers outside, but if you follow a few simple tips, it will be easier for you to get your children outside - and to help them make summer memories they will not soon forget! The best way to get your children outside is by limiting their "media" intake; consider giving your children a budget for each day (or for each week) of how much they are allowed to use the internet and the television. When you give your children such a budget, they are going to have to find other ways to use their time - and of course, most of them will quickly turn to the outdoors in order to have something to do! You can also play outside with your children in order to "jump start" them; make a personal budget of how much time you will spend outside with your children - playing sports, playing games, or just "hanging out" - and make sure you fulfill this budget each week. Lastly, you need to recognize that it will not be a good idea for you to "force" your children to spend time outside; when you force them to play outside, they are less likely to have fun, but when you take these other approaches, your children will naturally play outside, and they will have a lot more fun. And of course, they will want to be outside more and more as they have more fun out there - and this cycle will repeat itself until your children are rarely using up their media budget because of all the time they are spending outside!
Now that summer is nearly here, your kids will soon be out of school and will be spending most of their time around the house; but of course, as parents, your goal (for both your children's health, and for your own sanity!) is probably for your children to be spending much of this extra time outside, rather than in the house! With the television and the internet holding a monopoly on the attention of most children, it can be more difficult to get them to spend their summers outside, but if you follow a few simple tips, it will be easier for you to get your children outside - and to help them make summer memories they will not soon forget! The best way to get your children outside is by limiting their "media" intake; consider giving your children a budget for each day (or for each week) of how much they are allowed to use the internet and the television. When you give your children such a budget, they are going to have to find other ways to use their time - and of course, most of them will quickly turn to the outdoors in order to have something to do! You can also play outside with your children in order to "jump start" them; make a personal budget of how much time you will spend outside with your children - playing sports, playing games, or just "hanging out" - and make sure you fulfill this budget each week. Lastly, you need to recognize that it will not be a good idea for you to "force" your children to spend time outside; when you force them to play outside, they are less likely to have fun, but when you take these other approaches, your children will naturally play outside, and they will have a lot more fun. And of course, they will want to be outside more and more as they have more fun out there - and this cycle will repeat itself until your children are rarely using up their media budget because of all the time they are spending outside!
Tuesday, 18 November 2014
Tips with Sick Kids
The Relationship Cure: A 5 Step Guide to Strengthening Your Marriage, Family, and Friendships
There isn't a parent out there who likes to see their children get sick. However, there are a few things you can do to make their lives a bit easier when they are sick. You can feel helpless as to what to do with your child when they are feeling horrible. Here are a few suggestions to help. If you child is running a fever and just don’t want to eat or drink, you may be worried. It is more important to push liquids. If you child is suffering from diarrhea and or vomiting you will want to give them something to replace electrolytes like Pedialyte. For children who are not fans of the pedialyte drink you can try Pedialyte freeze pops. Avoid soda and super sugary a sport drinks these can actually cause more dehydration problems. Crackers and toast is the best way to introduce food, when they start developing an appetite. When you kids say they want to eat, make sure to listen. If it seems like a reasonable request, you might want to give it a try. And on those days were they are bored out of their goards from being stuck at home sick, it is a great idea to keep some special activities around. A great way to keep their mind busy and not burn a lot of energy is to get them an travel artistic easel. Another great option for older children who have a bit more patience is origami. It is important for them to get plenty of naps and downtime for a quicker recovery. Which can be tough sell to a child who isn't completely down. A wonderful way to push this is to have them lay down in a dark quite room. Hopefully these suggestions can help pass the time a bit quicker and make recover a little smoother for your kiddos.
There isn't a parent out there who likes to see their children get sick. However, there are a few things you can do to make their lives a bit easier when they are sick. You can feel helpless as to what to do with your child when they are feeling horrible. Here are a few suggestions to help. If you child is running a fever and just don’t want to eat or drink, you may be worried. It is more important to push liquids. If you child is suffering from diarrhea and or vomiting you will want to give them something to replace electrolytes like Pedialyte. For children who are not fans of the pedialyte drink you can try Pedialyte freeze pops. Avoid soda and super sugary a sport drinks these can actually cause more dehydration problems. Crackers and toast is the best way to introduce food, when they start developing an appetite. When you kids say they want to eat, make sure to listen. If it seems like a reasonable request, you might want to give it a try. And on those days were they are bored out of their goards from being stuck at home sick, it is a great idea to keep some special activities around. A great way to keep their mind busy and not burn a lot of energy is to get them an travel artistic easel. Another great option for older children who have a bit more patience is origami. It is important for them to get plenty of naps and downtime for a quicker recovery. Which can be tough sell to a child who isn't completely down. A wonderful way to push this is to have them lay down in a dark quite room. Hopefully these suggestions can help pass the time a bit quicker and make recover a little smoother for your kiddos.
Monday, 17 November 2014
Purifying Water When Backpacking
The Relationship Cure: A 5 Step Guide to Strengthening Your Marriage, Family, and Friendships
When you are backpacking, one of the most important things will be that you have plenty of water - not only because your body needs plenty of water in general, but also because you will be sweating out some of the water you drink, and will need to replenish it in order to maintain your health and strength; one problem when it comes to backpacking, however, is that water is heavy, and you will not be able to carry nearly as much as you need, and for this reason, it is important that you understand your options for purifying water on the go. One option that can especially come in handy is to bring a water filter with you - one that has a pump that pulls the water up through the filter, and that pours the filtered water into your water bottle; although these filters will cost more than other water purification methods, you will be able to easily filter your water as you backpack, without having to alter the water's taste, and without having to carry a lot of extra weight! Another option for purifying water (certainly a lighter option, and a less expensive one) is for you to put iodine or water purification tablets to use; you can purchase enough in the way of iodine crystals to last you for months for as little as $10 or $15, and for even less money you can purchase military-grade water purification tablets that you can simply drop in water, wait a bit, and drink! One thing for you to be aware of when it comes to water filters, iodine, and water purification tablets, however, is that none of them are 100% able to rid water of all the bad stuff that can be in it - and in order to be 100%, the only option is to boil your water before drinking it; if you are going to be backpacking on a long trip, you will want to have some lightweight cookware for cooking your food, and it will be beneficial to use this cookware to boil water each day as well! When you are out on a backpacking adventure, you will want to make sure you are getting as much water as you need - and in order to ensure this, you will need to make sure you also know how to purify the water you find.
When you are backpacking, one of the most important things will be that you have plenty of water - not only because your body needs plenty of water in general, but also because you will be sweating out some of the water you drink, and will need to replenish it in order to maintain your health and strength; one problem when it comes to backpacking, however, is that water is heavy, and you will not be able to carry nearly as much as you need, and for this reason, it is important that you understand your options for purifying water on the go. One option that can especially come in handy is to bring a water filter with you - one that has a pump that pulls the water up through the filter, and that pours the filtered water into your water bottle; although these filters will cost more than other water purification methods, you will be able to easily filter your water as you backpack, without having to alter the water's taste, and without having to carry a lot of extra weight! Another option for purifying water (certainly a lighter option, and a less expensive one) is for you to put iodine or water purification tablets to use; you can purchase enough in the way of iodine crystals to last you for months for as little as $10 or $15, and for even less money you can purchase military-grade water purification tablets that you can simply drop in water, wait a bit, and drink! One thing for you to be aware of when it comes to water filters, iodine, and water purification tablets, however, is that none of them are 100% able to rid water of all the bad stuff that can be in it - and in order to be 100%, the only option is to boil your water before drinking it; if you are going to be backpacking on a long trip, you will want to have some lightweight cookware for cooking your food, and it will be beneficial to use this cookware to boil water each day as well! When you are out on a backpacking adventure, you will want to make sure you are getting as much water as you need - and in order to ensure this, you will need to make sure you also know how to purify the water you find.
Sunday, 16 November 2014
Should I Add An Angelfish To My Saltwater Tank?
The Relationship Cure: A 5 Step Guide to Strengthening Your Marriage, Family, and Friendships
One of the fish you are probably most excited about adding, if you have a saltwater aquarium, is the angelfish. After all, in addition to being one of the most popular saltwater fish out there, the angelfish is also one of the most beautiful saltwater fish. You will want to make sure you know a few specific things about the angelfish, however, before you go out and add one to your tank. Housing conditions: Because the angelfish can grow to be quite large, you should not keep them in a tank that is any smaller than 75 gallons. Angelfish are very hardy fish, and they require similar water conditions to just about any other fish you might have in your tank already - but they sometimes do not do a good job adjusting to a new tank.
Diet: The dietary needs of the angelfish is one of the big reasons why they sometimes have a difficult time adjusting to a new tank. In the ocean, angelfish will feed liberally on coral - and if you have coral in your own tank, you certainly have no interest in this getting eaten up! When you add an angelfish to a tank that has coral, you should know that you risk losing the coral; and if you add an angelfish to a tank without coral, you will risk losing the angelfish. If you get an angelfish when it is still young, you can often get it to eat flake food - but you should also provide live food every so often. This live food can be brine shrimp or small clams; but also, you should know that the angelfish may eat your other invertebrates as well. Temperament: You should not try to keep more than one angelfish in your tank at a time, as the angelfish is an extremely territorial fish. As long as you do not add more than one - and as long as you give this one some good, rocky hiding spaces - your angelfish should do just fine with your other fish.
If you still feel that an angelfish might be a good fit for your tank, you should be fine to buy one - and you are sure to enjoy the beautiful color it adds to your tank!
One of the fish you are probably most excited about adding, if you have a saltwater aquarium, is the angelfish. After all, in addition to being one of the most popular saltwater fish out there, the angelfish is also one of the most beautiful saltwater fish. You will want to make sure you know a few specific things about the angelfish, however, before you go out and add one to your tank. Housing conditions: Because the angelfish can grow to be quite large, you should not keep them in a tank that is any smaller than 75 gallons. Angelfish are very hardy fish, and they require similar water conditions to just about any other fish you might have in your tank already - but they sometimes do not do a good job adjusting to a new tank.
Saturday, 15 November 2014
Tips For Climbing A Coconut Palm Tree
The Relationship Cure: A 5 Step Guide to Strengthening Your Marriage, Family, and Friendships
If you are vacationing where the weather is tropical, you might see a palm tree with coconuts at the top and decide that you want to be just like the people you have seen in movies or television shows who climb to the top and retrieve a few coconuts for a nice snack or meal, but while this might seem like a straightforward enough exercise (after all, you might think, how difficult can it be to climb a tree?), it will be important that you make sure you know the proper technique for climbing a palm tree in order to reach the top without any problems. You will actually be using your legs a lot more than you will be using your hands when you climb a palm tree; start out by wrapping your arms around the tree and gaining a good grip with your hands, realizing that it will almost feel like you are "hugging" the tree - wrapping your arms as far around it as you can. Once your arms are wrapped as far around the tree as they will go, you will want to position your legs on either side of the tree and squat down so that your thighs are nearly at a 90 degree angle to the ground, with your legs pressed into the tree, as this will give you a good grip on the tree with both your arms and legs. At this point, you will just about be ready to start climbing; while squeezing your feet and lower legs against the tree, push up so that your body slides upward until your hands find a new place to hold onto; after you get a grip on this new area with your hands, you will be able to slide your legs and feet up until they are gripping the tree again. After you have reached the top and tossed down all the coconuts that you want, be cautious about descending the tree - doing so in just as cautious a manner as you ascended so that you do not slide down the trunk and take on some serious abrasions on your arms and legs!
If you are vacationing where the weather is tropical, you might see a palm tree with coconuts at the top and decide that you want to be just like the people you have seen in movies or television shows who climb to the top and retrieve a few coconuts for a nice snack or meal, but while this might seem like a straightforward enough exercise (after all, you might think, how difficult can it be to climb a tree?), it will be important that you make sure you know the proper technique for climbing a palm tree in order to reach the top without any problems. You will actually be using your legs a lot more than you will be using your hands when you climb a palm tree; start out by wrapping your arms around the tree and gaining a good grip with your hands, realizing that it will almost feel like you are "hugging" the tree - wrapping your arms as far around it as you can. Once your arms are wrapped as far around the tree as they will go, you will want to position your legs on either side of the tree and squat down so that your thighs are nearly at a 90 degree angle to the ground, with your legs pressed into the tree, as this will give you a good grip on the tree with both your arms and legs. At this point, you will just about be ready to start climbing; while squeezing your feet and lower legs against the tree, push up so that your body slides upward until your hands find a new place to hold onto; after you get a grip on this new area with your hands, you will be able to slide your legs and feet up until they are gripping the tree again. After you have reached the top and tossed down all the coconuts that you want, be cautious about descending the tree - doing so in just as cautious a manner as you ascended so that you do not slide down the trunk and take on some serious abrasions on your arms and legs!
Friday, 14 November 2014
Unusual Uses For Vaseline
The Relationship Cure: A 5 Step Guide to Strengthening Your Marriage, Family, and Friendships
It seems as though at least one small tub of Vaseline is sitting somewhere in each family's home, but despite the fact that Vaseline has a place in every person’s home, many people do not know all the beneficial ways in which they can use Vaseline in everyday life. One of the most interesting ways in which Vaseline can be used is as conditioner for eyelashes; while many people spend a good deal of money trying to improve the way their eyelashes look, a little dab of Vaseline on the eyelashes at the end of each day will go a long way in making your eyelashes stay healthy and grow longer. Vaseline can also be used as a makeup remover – especially for eye makeup; unlike other forms of eye makeup remover that are not only more expensive than Vaseline, but are also sometimes harsh on the skin, Vaseline will work great while also being lighter on your wallet and less harsh on your skin. Vaseline can be used in place of lip balm in order to heal and prevent chapped lips, and when Vaseline is added to ornamental lip gloss, this will both help the lip gloss to last longer and help it to be a lot more useful for your lips. One of the strangest uses of all for Vaseline (at least, one of the uses that feels the most funny) is using it as a way to prevent blisters on your feet; if you are going to be playing sports, skiing, hiking, walking long distances, or jogging long distances (pretty much, if you are going to be doing anything that might give you blisters on your feet!), you can prevent this from happening by covering your feet in a thin layer of Vaseline before slipping on your socks. With this knowledge in hand, you will be able to get the most out of that tub of Vaseline that is hidden in one of your bathrooms – using it in more unconventional ways that are nevertheless effective.
It seems as though at least one small tub of Vaseline is sitting somewhere in each family's home, but despite the fact that Vaseline has a place in every person’s home, many people do not know all the beneficial ways in which they can use Vaseline in everyday life. One of the most interesting ways in which Vaseline can be used is as conditioner for eyelashes; while many people spend a good deal of money trying to improve the way their eyelashes look, a little dab of Vaseline on the eyelashes at the end of each day will go a long way in making your eyelashes stay healthy and grow longer. Vaseline can also be used as a makeup remover – especially for eye makeup; unlike other forms of eye makeup remover that are not only more expensive than Vaseline, but are also sometimes harsh on the skin, Vaseline will work great while also being lighter on your wallet and less harsh on your skin. Vaseline can be used in place of lip balm in order to heal and prevent chapped lips, and when Vaseline is added to ornamental lip gloss, this will both help the lip gloss to last longer and help it to be a lot more useful for your lips. One of the strangest uses of all for Vaseline (at least, one of the uses that feels the most funny) is using it as a way to prevent blisters on your feet; if you are going to be playing sports, skiing, hiking, walking long distances, or jogging long distances (pretty much, if you are going to be doing anything that might give you blisters on your feet!), you can prevent this from happening by covering your feet in a thin layer of Vaseline before slipping on your socks. With this knowledge in hand, you will be able to get the most out of that tub of Vaseline that is hidden in one of your bathrooms – using it in more unconventional ways that are nevertheless effective.
Thursday, 13 November 2014
Tips For Attracting Cardinals To Your Bird Feeder
The Relationship Cure: A 5 Step Guide to Strengthening Your Marriage, Family, and Friendships
Among those who keep a bird feeder in their yard, one of the most popular birds is the cardinal. In fact, many people who manage to attract a cardinal their way consider it to be the prize possession of their feeder, because of the cardinal's bright colors and effortless beauty. But while those who are able to attract cardinals to their feeder enjoy them thoroughly, many others fail to enjoy the cardinal at all, because they are unable to attract them! Even though there is an element of luck involved in attracting any certain types of birds to your feeder, you will certainly increase your chances of getting a cardinal if you follow these tips. Of course, making sure you give cardinals the sort of food they want will be one of the biggest considerations in attracting them your way. You might be tempted to get the cheapest "songbird blend" you can find, but you are unlikely to get many (if any!) birds this way. The bird seed you buy should have a large amount of black oil sunflower seeds, as these are the favorites of songbirds in general, and cardinals specifically. Another important consideration will be the sort of feeder you are using to try to attract cardinals to your feeder. Because tube feeders are effective at both attracting birds and keeping squirrels away, they are popular and can be found in many yards. But you should buy a feeder that is specifically designed to bring cardinals your way if your goal is to attract cardinals to your feeder. Keeping water nearby will be another important part of attracting cardinals to you - and in fact will be important for attracting any birds in general. If you provide a bird bath nearby, this will provide birds with the ability to drink water after eating, and to get clean as well. Cardinals prefer to eat at feeders that are placed between four feet and six feet off the ground, prefarably with some form of protection (a tree or shrubs) close by. Once you put all these things together, you should have no problem at all attracting cardinals to your yard.
Among those who keep a bird feeder in their yard, one of the most popular birds is the cardinal. In fact, many people who manage to attract a cardinal their way consider it to be the prize possession of their feeder, because of the cardinal's bright colors and effortless beauty. But while those who are able to attract cardinals to their feeder enjoy them thoroughly, many others fail to enjoy the cardinal at all, because they are unable to attract them! Even though there is an element of luck involved in attracting any certain types of birds to your feeder, you will certainly increase your chances of getting a cardinal if you follow these tips. Of course, making sure you give cardinals the sort of food they want will be one of the biggest considerations in attracting them your way. You might be tempted to get the cheapest "songbird blend" you can find, but you are unlikely to get many (if any!) birds this way. The bird seed you buy should have a large amount of black oil sunflower seeds, as these are the favorites of songbirds in general, and cardinals specifically. Another important consideration will be the sort of feeder you are using to try to attract cardinals to your feeder. Because tube feeders are effective at both attracting birds and keeping squirrels away, they are popular and can be found in many yards. But you should buy a feeder that is specifically designed to bring cardinals your way if your goal is to attract cardinals to your feeder. Keeping water nearby will be another important part of attracting cardinals to you - and in fact will be important for attracting any birds in general. If you provide a bird bath nearby, this will provide birds with the ability to drink water after eating, and to get clean as well. Cardinals prefer to eat at feeders that are placed between four feet and six feet off the ground, prefarably with some form of protection (a tree or shrubs) close by. Once you put all these things together, you should have no problem at all attracting cardinals to your yard.
Wednesday, 12 November 2014
Having A Perfect Thanksgiving Celebration
The Relationship Cure: A 5 Step Guide to Strengthening Your Marriage, Family, and Friendships
One complaint a lot of people have when it comes to the holidays is that the holiday celebrations they experience in their own family - and in their own life - rarely live up to the expectations they have; while each family is certainly different from other families, there are also a few things any family can keep in mind in order to improve the way their holidays turn out - and the holiday that kicks things off for most families (and that sets the tone for the remainder of the holidays!) is Thanksgiving. Of course, the biggest thing people think of for Thanksgiving is the food, but a lot of people fall short of what they were hoping for in this department, and one of the main reasons why this happens is that they fail to plan properly; make sure you take the time to plan your Thanksgiving menu in advance - and use this extra time afforded to you to go to the grocery store long before the crowds flock to it, getting everything you will need for your Thanksgiving meal. Another big part of making your family Thanksgiving a success will be having traditions that everyone in your family can look forward to each year - knowing what to expect of the holiday, and having certain things about it that make them excited; some examples of traditions you might want to incorporate into your family are certain Christmas movies you watch every year at Thanksgiving, certain things you do during dinner, or a certain event all of you attend each year on Thanksgiving night. And making sure you are focusing on making memories as a family is the best way to ensure that you are having a perfect Thanksgiving - year in and year out. The details of a holiday such as Thanksgiving make it easy for you to get caught up in things that don't matter - fretting over all the little things and trying to make sure that everything is perfect - which can cause you to forget to actually take the time to enjoy things, but work to constantly remind yourself that the memories you make will be the things that last the longest, and make sure everyone is coming together to create such memories and make this holiday special!
One complaint a lot of people have when it comes to the holidays is that the holiday celebrations they experience in their own family - and in their own life - rarely live up to the expectations they have; while each family is certainly different from other families, there are also a few things any family can keep in mind in order to improve the way their holidays turn out - and the holiday that kicks things off for most families (and that sets the tone for the remainder of the holidays!) is Thanksgiving. Of course, the biggest thing people think of for Thanksgiving is the food, but a lot of people fall short of what they were hoping for in this department, and one of the main reasons why this happens is that they fail to plan properly; make sure you take the time to plan your Thanksgiving menu in advance - and use this extra time afforded to you to go to the grocery store long before the crowds flock to it, getting everything you will need for your Thanksgiving meal. Another big part of making your family Thanksgiving a success will be having traditions that everyone in your family can look forward to each year - knowing what to expect of the holiday, and having certain things about it that make them excited; some examples of traditions you might want to incorporate into your family are certain Christmas movies you watch every year at Thanksgiving, certain things you do during dinner, or a certain event all of you attend each year on Thanksgiving night. And making sure you are focusing on making memories as a family is the best way to ensure that you are having a perfect Thanksgiving - year in and year out. The details of a holiday such as Thanksgiving make it easy for you to get caught up in things that don't matter - fretting over all the little things and trying to make sure that everything is perfect - which can cause you to forget to actually take the time to enjoy things, but work to constantly remind yourself that the memories you make will be the things that last the longest, and make sure everyone is coming together to create such memories and make this holiday special!
Tuesday, 11 November 2014
Looking For Ways To Brighten Someone Else's Day
The Relationship Cure: A 5 Step Guide to Strengthening Your Marriage, Family, and Friendships
Many people focus only on their own self, their own concerns, and their own problems as they move through life, and what they never realize is that one of the best ways to take care of their own self, their own concerns, and their own problems (and certainly one of the best ways to lift their own self up and feel better as they progress through the rest of their day!) is to find ways to brighten someone else's day, as brightening someone else's day will often make you feel a whole lot better as well. If you think back to times when someone has given you a compliment when you least expected it, you will realize that one of the best ways to brighten someone's day is to give them this gift; of course, people can usually tell if someone is forcing a compliment their way, so do not try to fabricate some sort of thought just to make someone else feel good, but if something positive about someone comes to your mind, go out of your way to say it to them instead of just holding it in to yourself! Another great way to brighten someone's day is to help them when they need help (even if they may not realize at the time that they need help!), so as you move through your day at work, at home, or even when you are out running errands or having fun, look for people that might need help, and then take the time to help them. And most people get in the habit of moving through their day without thinking about all the people they are passing (and passing up opportunities to interact with!) throughout the day; as you go through the course of your normal day, take the time to smile at the people you pass, and if you have the opportunity, look to make conversation with people as you give them this smile, as this extra little bit of positive attention is sure to go a long way in making their day better. Going out of your way to brighten someone else's day is not always easy, but it is always worth it!
Many people focus only on their own self, their own concerns, and their own problems as they move through life, and what they never realize is that one of the best ways to take care of their own self, their own concerns, and their own problems (and certainly one of the best ways to lift their own self up and feel better as they progress through the rest of their day!) is to find ways to brighten someone else's day, as brightening someone else's day will often make you feel a whole lot better as well. If you think back to times when someone has given you a compliment when you least expected it, you will realize that one of the best ways to brighten someone's day is to give them this gift; of course, people can usually tell if someone is forcing a compliment their way, so do not try to fabricate some sort of thought just to make someone else feel good, but if something positive about someone comes to your mind, go out of your way to say it to them instead of just holding it in to yourself! Another great way to brighten someone's day is to help them when they need help (even if they may not realize at the time that they need help!), so as you move through your day at work, at home, or even when you are out running errands or having fun, look for people that might need help, and then take the time to help them. And most people get in the habit of moving through their day without thinking about all the people they are passing (and passing up opportunities to interact with!) throughout the day; as you go through the course of your normal day, take the time to smile at the people you pass, and if you have the opportunity, look to make conversation with people as you give them this smile, as this extra little bit of positive attention is sure to go a long way in making their day better. Going out of your way to brighten someone else's day is not always easy, but it is always worth it!
Monday, 10 November 2014
Tips For Taking A Great Vegas Vacation
The Relationship Cure: A 5 Step Guide to Strengthening Your Marriage, Family, and Friendships
A trip to Las Vegas - probably with a group of close friends - is one thing that a lot of people imagine as the "most fun vacation" they could take, but while a Vegas vacation can be a lot of fun, it is like any vacation in that it can also be a disappointment if you do not plan it properly; for this reason, here are a few things you will want to keep in mind in order to get the most out of your Vegas vacation. Of course, because Las Vegas is such a popular destination, there is a good chance you are going to be securing your room in advance; when you do secure your room, one thing that will be important for you to pay attention to is its location, as you will have a lot more fun - and will have a much smoother trip - if you are staying in the middle of The Strip; take a look at the hotels located in this prime area, and make sure to choose from among them in planning your trip. When you are in Las Vegas, there is a whole lot to see and do as well, and because of this, your trip will be a much greater success if you go there with a plan of all the things you hope to see and do; regardless of whether it is sites you want to see or shows you want to watch, go with a plan so you can ensure you get in everything you want. And of course, one of the biggest draws of a trip to Las Vegas is the gambling, but this will be an area where it is especially important that you take the right approach, lest it ruin your trip; go to Vegas expecting to lose the money you plan to gamble, and set a limit for yourself of how much you are willing to lose - otherwise, you can end up in a very bad position! When you make sure to plan your Vegas vacation in this manner, you will be able to have a lot of fun - and can ensure that you are getting the absolute most out of the trip that you could possibly get!
A trip to Las Vegas - probably with a group of close friends - is one thing that a lot of people imagine as the "most fun vacation" they could take, but while a Vegas vacation can be a lot of fun, it is like any vacation in that it can also be a disappointment if you do not plan it properly; for this reason, here are a few things you will want to keep in mind in order to get the most out of your Vegas vacation. Of course, because Las Vegas is such a popular destination, there is a good chance you are going to be securing your room in advance; when you do secure your room, one thing that will be important for you to pay attention to is its location, as you will have a lot more fun - and will have a much smoother trip - if you are staying in the middle of The Strip; take a look at the hotels located in this prime area, and make sure to choose from among them in planning your trip. When you are in Las Vegas, there is a whole lot to see and do as well, and because of this, your trip will be a much greater success if you go there with a plan of all the things you hope to see and do; regardless of whether it is sites you want to see or shows you want to watch, go with a plan so you can ensure you get in everything you want. And of course, one of the biggest draws of a trip to Las Vegas is the gambling, but this will be an area where it is especially important that you take the right approach, lest it ruin your trip; go to Vegas expecting to lose the money you plan to gamble, and set a limit for yourself of how much you are willing to lose - otherwise, you can end up in a very bad position! When you make sure to plan your Vegas vacation in this manner, you will be able to have a lot of fun - and can ensure that you are getting the absolute most out of the trip that you could possibly get!
Sunday, 9 November 2014
Tips For Using Goodreads
The Relationship Cure: A 5 Step Guide to Strengthening Your Marriage, Family, and Friendships
There are a lot of different social networking sites these days, for a lot of different purposes, but if you enjoy reading books, there is one social networking site that is better than just about anything else - a site called Goodreads, where you can connect with other readers from all over the world. If you have recently set up a Goodreads account (or if you have not heard of Goodreads before, but you are thinking of setting up an account now), here are a few important things you will need to know in order to optimize your Goodreads experience. The very first thing you will notice about Goodreads is that it gives you the opportunity to rate and review any book you have read; with their simple search function, you can pull up just about any book in existence, and if you have read a lot of books by a single author, you can make your "search and add" even easier by simply searching for the author. Once you have added your books (you can even organize them on different "bookshelves," categorizing them however you want), you can also add books to your "to read" shelf - which is a great way for you to keep track of all the books you are wanting to read, and of all the books you are hoping to purchase soon. And just like you would be able to do on any other great social networking site, Goodreads gives you the chance to connect with other people who share your interests; as you add new "friends" on Goodreads, the site will become better and better at suggesting friends for you, until you have a constant influx of new book suggestions, and a broader understanding of what is out there in the world of books. If you are a casual reader, a serious reader, or even an author, Goodreads is a great way to learn more about books, and it is a tremendous opportunity to connect with other readers who are just like you!
There are a lot of different social networking sites these days, for a lot of different purposes, but if you enjoy reading books, there is one social networking site that is better than just about anything else - a site called Goodreads, where you can connect with other readers from all over the world. If you have recently set up a Goodreads account (or if you have not heard of Goodreads before, but you are thinking of setting up an account now), here are a few important things you will need to know in order to optimize your Goodreads experience. The very first thing you will notice about Goodreads is that it gives you the opportunity to rate and review any book you have read; with their simple search function, you can pull up just about any book in existence, and if you have read a lot of books by a single author, you can make your "search and add" even easier by simply searching for the author. Once you have added your books (you can even organize them on different "bookshelves," categorizing them however you want), you can also add books to your "to read" shelf - which is a great way for you to keep track of all the books you are wanting to read, and of all the books you are hoping to purchase soon. And just like you would be able to do on any other great social networking site, Goodreads gives you the chance to connect with other people who share your interests; as you add new "friends" on Goodreads, the site will become better and better at suggesting friends for you, until you have a constant influx of new book suggestions, and a broader understanding of what is out there in the world of books. If you are a casual reader, a serious reader, or even an author, Goodreads is a great way to learn more about books, and it is a tremendous opportunity to connect with other readers who are just like you!
Saturday, 8 November 2014
How To Budget Your Time Well
The Relationship Cure: A 5 Step Guide to Strengthening Your Marriage, Family, and Friendships
It is not uncommon for people to lament the fact that there are "so few hours in the day," complaining that they could get more done if they had more time. But if most of these people examined the ways in which they spend their days, they would realize that their complaints are unfounded. In fact, it would be a shocking realization for most people to recognize how many minutes they fritter away throughout the day, leaving them in a position at the end of the day where they ask where the day went. Keeping track of what you do during the day is the best way to start budgeting your time well, and budgeting your time well is the best way to solve this problem. Unlike keeping a budget for money, it is not always possible to write down every single thing you "spent your minutes" on throughout the day. But you should nevertheless carry a notebook around with you when you first start your time budget, writing down - as best you can - how you are spending all your time. About a week later, you should thumb back through the notebook and add up the minutes, seeing where all these wasted minutes become wasted hours! Once you come to grips with the fact that you are wasting a lot of time on unnecessary things, you can decide where you want this extra time to go instead. This is a part that you definitely should treat like a money budget, figuring out how you will be happiest "spending" your minutes. It makes it easiest to apply these minutes somewhere if you have some sort of goal in mind, as you can work toward this goal. Make sure you leave enough of a cushion when you create your time budget that it does not start putting you in a position where you feel stressed. It will not always be easy at first to follow the budget you have set for yourself, but as time passes, you will settle deeper and deeper into a routine of productivity. And then, you can thumb through that old notebook again, and you can be truly amazed by the amount of time you used to spend on pointless things!
It is not uncommon for people to lament the fact that there are "so few hours in the day," complaining that they could get more done if they had more time. But if most of these people examined the ways in which they spend their days, they would realize that their complaints are unfounded. In fact, it would be a shocking realization for most people to recognize how many minutes they fritter away throughout the day, leaving them in a position at the end of the day where they ask where the day went. Keeping track of what you do during the day is the best way to start budgeting your time well, and budgeting your time well is the best way to solve this problem. Unlike keeping a budget for money, it is not always possible to write down every single thing you "spent your minutes" on throughout the day. But you should nevertheless carry a notebook around with you when you first start your time budget, writing down - as best you can - how you are spending all your time. About a week later, you should thumb back through the notebook and add up the minutes, seeing where all these wasted minutes become wasted hours! Once you come to grips with the fact that you are wasting a lot of time on unnecessary things, you can decide where you want this extra time to go instead. This is a part that you definitely should treat like a money budget, figuring out how you will be happiest "spending" your minutes. It makes it easiest to apply these minutes somewhere if you have some sort of goal in mind, as you can work toward this goal. Make sure you leave enough of a cushion when you create your time budget that it does not start putting you in a position where you feel stressed. It will not always be easy at first to follow the budget you have set for yourself, but as time passes, you will settle deeper and deeper into a routine of productivity. And then, you can thumb through that old notebook again, and you can be truly amazed by the amount of time you used to spend on pointless things!
Friday, 7 November 2014
Playing Volleyball In A Standard Pool
The Relationship Cure: A 5 Step Guide to Strengthening Your Marriage, Family, and Friendships
One thing that is a lot of fun to do during the summer (if you have a pool, of course - or if you have friends with a pool!) is to play a bit of pool volleyball, but while most people think that their pool is not conducive to pool volleyball (after all, it is a rare pool indeed that is shallow all the way across), you can still play pool volleyball in a standard pool. In order to play pool volleyball in a standard pool, the first thing you will need to do is to set up the net so that there will be enough space for people to stand on the "deeper" side, as well as on the shallow side, without them slipping so deep that the water is above their heads. Once you have created a bit of space on the "deep end" side of the pool, use pool noodles or some other sort of pool toy to mark the boundaries of the deep end side - setting these markers along the side of the pool. The Poolside Volleyball set. It will be much easier for you to set up the boundaries in the shallow end than the arbitrary boundaries of the deep end, as you can simply designate the wall around the shallow end as the "out" line; you can also make things easier on the team that is stuck trying to keep their heads above water in the deep end by allowing balls that bounce off the wall and back into the pool to still be in play. After the net and the boundaries have both been set up, you can divide up the teams into "those tall enough to stand in the deeper part" and "those short enough to get to play in the shallow end." With the teams now divided up in something of an "even" manner, you will be ready to start playing - having fun as you institute a new family tradition of playing volleyball in your pool!
One thing that is a lot of fun to do during the summer (if you have a pool, of course - or if you have friends with a pool!) is to play a bit of pool volleyball, but while most people think that their pool is not conducive to pool volleyball (after all, it is a rare pool indeed that is shallow all the way across), you can still play pool volleyball in a standard pool. In order to play pool volleyball in a standard pool, the first thing you will need to do is to set up the net so that there will be enough space for people to stand on the "deeper" side, as well as on the shallow side, without them slipping so deep that the water is above their heads. Once you have created a bit of space on the "deep end" side of the pool, use pool noodles or some other sort of pool toy to mark the boundaries of the deep end side - setting these markers along the side of the pool. The Poolside Volleyball set. It will be much easier for you to set up the boundaries in the shallow end than the arbitrary boundaries of the deep end, as you can simply designate the wall around the shallow end as the "out" line; you can also make things easier on the team that is stuck trying to keep their heads above water in the deep end by allowing balls that bounce off the wall and back into the pool to still be in play. After the net and the boundaries have both been set up, you can divide up the teams into "those tall enough to stand in the deeper part" and "those short enough to get to play in the shallow end." With the teams now divided up in something of an "even" manner, you will be ready to start playing - having fun as you institute a new family tradition of playing volleyball in your pool!
Thursday, 6 November 2014
Setting Up For A Quick Camp
The Relationship Cure: A 5 Step Guide to Strengthening Your Marriage, Family, and Friendships
If you are going camping, there will be several things you will have to do in order to set up your campsite – after all, the experience of camping is as big a part as the act of camping itself, and it will be worth it to make sure you take the time to set up everything properly. Sometimes, however, camping is not a "trip" or an "experience," but is simply a convenient and inexpensive way to spend the night somewhere – so if you are on a road trip, or are simply traveling from one place to another, and are wanting to camp for the night, here are a few things to keep in mind in order to set up camp quickly. One of the first things most people think of when they think of camping is a fire, but if you are simply spending the night somewhere before getting up in the morning and heading on your way, there is no need to build a fire – and in fact, building a fire will be a waste of time, as the main thing you will want to do when setting up a quick camp is get some food into you and then get to sleep. Especially if you will be getting up in the morning and hitting the road again, of course, a good night of sleep will be extremely important – so take the time to set up your tent, and if your tent has a rainfly, make sure you put this on as well, and then you can put your air mattress or foam pad in your tent and get a good night of sleep without worrying about the elements. Outside of setting up your tent, however, you should plan to treat the rest of your camping night as “car camping,” which means that everything else you need should stay in your car – coming out only when you need to use it. You can still get a full, comfortable night of sleep in this way, while saving time and effort – and without having to spend much money!
If you are going camping, there will be several things you will have to do in order to set up your campsite – after all, the experience of camping is as big a part as the act of camping itself, and it will be worth it to make sure you take the time to set up everything properly. Sometimes, however, camping is not a "trip" or an "experience," but is simply a convenient and inexpensive way to spend the night somewhere – so if you are on a road trip, or are simply traveling from one place to another, and are wanting to camp for the night, here are a few things to keep in mind in order to set up camp quickly. One of the first things most people think of when they think of camping is a fire, but if you are simply spending the night somewhere before getting up in the morning and heading on your way, there is no need to build a fire – and in fact, building a fire will be a waste of time, as the main thing you will want to do when setting up a quick camp is get some food into you and then get to sleep. Especially if you will be getting up in the morning and hitting the road again, of course, a good night of sleep will be extremely important – so take the time to set up your tent, and if your tent has a rainfly, make sure you put this on as well, and then you can put your air mattress or foam pad in your tent and get a good night of sleep without worrying about the elements. Outside of setting up your tent, however, you should plan to treat the rest of your camping night as “car camping,” which means that everything else you need should stay in your car – coming out only when you need to use it. You can still get a full, comfortable night of sleep in this way, while saving time and effort – and without having to spend much money!
Wednesday, 5 November 2014
Tips For Selling Books Through Search Engine Marketing
The Relationship Cure: A 5 Step Guide to Strengthening Your Marriage, Family, and Friendships
When you are attacking search engine marketing in an effort to make some extra money (or, perhaps, even to make a living!), one thing that will be nice is those times when you are able to find a website to develop that centers around something you actually enjoy writing about; because of the fact that so many people enjoy reading, this is one area of search engine marketing (SEM) that can be both profitable and fun - but before you can set up a "book sales" website of your own, here are a few things you will want to make sure you are doing. Using your site as a "book review" site is the best way to bring regular traffic to your site - and of course, the second key to bringing regular traffic your way is to post regularly; this can seem a bit overwhelming at first, as you may not have read enough books in your time to be able to post two or three reviews a week, each and every week, but the great thing about SEM is that there is no need for you to have actually read the books yourself, as long as you can give readers enough good information! Of course, if you are simply trying to write a string of reviews (even if you have read every one of the books about which you are writing), this can get a big tedious, not to mention difficult; in order to combat this, your best approach will be to set up a template that you can use for each and every review, which will give you simple guidelines to follow as you create a short review for each new book. And finally, it will be important that you create a lot of internal traffic on your site - causing visitors to skip from one page to another - and the best way to do this on a "book review" site is to include, at the bottom of each post, links to other books they might like! In this way, you can keep visitors on your site for a while, which will both increase the likelihood of them making a purchase through a link on your site, or of them bookmarking your site and coming back again!
When you are attacking search engine marketing in an effort to make some extra money (or, perhaps, even to make a living!), one thing that will be nice is those times when you are able to find a website to develop that centers around something you actually enjoy writing about; because of the fact that so many people enjoy reading, this is one area of search engine marketing (SEM) that can be both profitable and fun - but before you can set up a "book sales" website of your own, here are a few things you will want to make sure you are doing. Using your site as a "book review" site is the best way to bring regular traffic to your site - and of course, the second key to bringing regular traffic your way is to post regularly; this can seem a bit overwhelming at first, as you may not have read enough books in your time to be able to post two or three reviews a week, each and every week, but the great thing about SEM is that there is no need for you to have actually read the books yourself, as long as you can give readers enough good information! Of course, if you are simply trying to write a string of reviews (even if you have read every one of the books about which you are writing), this can get a big tedious, not to mention difficult; in order to combat this, your best approach will be to set up a template that you can use for each and every review, which will give you simple guidelines to follow as you create a short review for each new book. And finally, it will be important that you create a lot of internal traffic on your site - causing visitors to skip from one page to another - and the best way to do this on a "book review" site is to include, at the bottom of each post, links to other books they might like! In this way, you can keep visitors on your site for a while, which will both increase the likelihood of them making a purchase through a link on your site, or of them bookmarking your site and coming back again!
Tuesday, 4 November 2014
Throwing Pottery
The Relationship Cure: A 5 Step Guide to Strengthening Your Marriage, Family, and Friendships
If you are a fan of pottery, you have probably spent a significant amount of money purchasing pots that you can use as decoration, or even that you can use for practical purposes such as plants in your house or storage for different items. Pottery, of course, is an excellent way for you to add some character and beauty to your home, and while you probably knew this already, you might not have known that it is not that difficult to throw pottery yourself; in fact, throwing pottery can be a lot of fun, and decorating your home with pots you have thrown yourself will be much more rewarding than decorating it with pots you purchased from someone else.
When you are first getting started throwing pottery, you should begin with a small piece of clay (after all, each chunk of clay tends to make a larger pot than you might imagine), and you should spin the wheel at full-speed, keeping the clay wet as you slowly work with your hands to get the clay centered. Once the clay is centered and shaped so that it is symmetrical all the way around, you can slow the wheel down to about three-quarters speed and make a hole in the center of the clay, using your outstretched fingers; the hole should be right in the center of the clay, and should go all the way down near the bottom. Finally, you can start to shape the clay with the pottery wheel at about one-quarter speed; do this by putting light pressure on the inside and outside of the clay as you slowly raise up, which will gradually increase the length of the sides of your pot. The more time you spend working with pottery, the easier it will become for you to make pots that look the way you are wanting them to look – and of course, the more you work with pottery, the more you will be able to decorate your house with pots that you have made yourself!
If you are a fan of pottery, you have probably spent a significant amount of money purchasing pots that you can use as decoration, or even that you can use for practical purposes such as plants in your house or storage for different items. Pottery, of course, is an excellent way for you to add some character and beauty to your home, and while you probably knew this already, you might not have known that it is not that difficult to throw pottery yourself; in fact, throwing pottery can be a lot of fun, and decorating your home with pots you have thrown yourself will be much more rewarding than decorating it with pots you purchased from someone else.
Monday, 3 November 2014
Teaching Your Children Healthy Teeth Care
The Relationship Cure: A 5 Step Guide to Strengthening Your Marriage, Family, and Friendships
It is very important for you to keep your teeth clean. Research is beginning to show a link between poor oral care and strokes and heart health. This is incredibly scary when you realize that how you care for your teeth can have more ramifications than just a cavity or root canal. This is why it is so important to teach your children about proper and healthy habits in regards to their teeth. Teaching them about the length of time they should be brushing is one of the first things you can do. Two minutes is what dentists are recommending. This may seem like a long amount of time for a child, who left on their own will come up quite short. Getting an egg timer is a good start to getting them brushing a little longer. There are two minute timers that stick right to your bathroom mirror for just this reason. I also know that my children are horrible about brushing their teeth using a regular toothbrush. The kids were not getting the plaque off of their teeth well enough. We decided to go with a mechanical toothbrush to help aid in this. Not only did it help the kids teeth, but they were super excited to use an electronic toothbrush. Getting each of our kids their own toothpaste was another trick we used. You can get toothpaste in very odd flavors such as strawberries that is fluoride free for very young kids, and bubble gum fluoride toothpaste when they are older. You can use the same trick for mouthwash. It seems like the stranger the flavor and color, the more they love it. Once your children are older, it becomes very important to push flossing or using a water pick. Kids sometimes seem to like using a water pick because they can play with the water as well. Getting into a good routine with your child and monitoring them is ultimately the best way to promote good hygiene until they are old enough to understand.
It is very important for you to keep your teeth clean. Research is beginning to show a link between poor oral care and strokes and heart health. This is incredibly scary when you realize that how you care for your teeth can have more ramifications than just a cavity or root canal. This is why it is so important to teach your children about proper and healthy habits in regards to their teeth. Teaching them about the length of time they should be brushing is one of the first things you can do. Two minutes is what dentists are recommending. This may seem like a long amount of time for a child, who left on their own will come up quite short. Getting an egg timer is a good start to getting them brushing a little longer. There are two minute timers that stick right to your bathroom mirror for just this reason. I also know that my children are horrible about brushing their teeth using a regular toothbrush. The kids were not getting the plaque off of their teeth well enough. We decided to go with a mechanical toothbrush to help aid in this. Not only did it help the kids teeth, but they were super excited to use an electronic toothbrush. Getting each of our kids their own toothpaste was another trick we used. You can get toothpaste in very odd flavors such as strawberries that is fluoride free for very young kids, and bubble gum fluoride toothpaste when they are older. You can use the same trick for mouthwash. It seems like the stranger the flavor and color, the more they love it. Once your children are older, it becomes very important to push flossing or using a water pick. Kids sometimes seem to like using a water pick because they can play with the water as well. Getting into a good routine with your child and monitoring them is ultimately the best way to promote good hygiene until they are old enough to understand.
Sunday, 2 November 2014
Understanding The Story Behind Philipp Meyer's "American Rust"
The Relationship Cure: A 5 Step Guide to Strengthening Your Marriage, Family, and Friendships
When you are thumbing through potential books to read, you will often see books that are selling well and are collecting all sorts of accolades, and while it is perfectly possible to enjoy these books without having any clue how the books arrived at the point they did, it can also be a lot more enjoyable to read a book when you know the story behind it. Last year, The New Yorker released their list of the 20 best writers under the age of 40, and on the list was Phillipp Meyer, whose 2009 novel American Rust won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and was listed as a New York Times Notable Book - but the journey Meyer took to reach this point was something else altogether! When he was only sixteen years old, Philipp Meyer dropped out of high school and got his GED before spending several years working odd jobs, but by the time Meyer reached the age of 20, he decided he wanted to be a writer. Meyer wanted to study writing at a top school, but because of his educational track record, it took him two years to finally land in a school he wanted - and at the age of 22, he went to Cornell to study writing. Meyer excelled at Cornell, but after school he got a job as a derivatives trader on Wall Street to pay off his student loans while he continued to write - but after finishing his second manuscript, Meyer quit his lucrative job in order to continue writing and land a publishing deal for one of his manuscripts. There was one problem, however: No agents or editors seemed to want to sign on with Meyer's two manuscripts, so he continued writing (now working on a third novel, which he was calling American Rust), continued to get rejected by MFA programs and by agents and editors, moved back in with his parents and continued working odd jobs, and then, finally, Meyer completed American Rust; the book quickly landed a publishing deal, and upon its publication, the book gathered piles of accolades - and the rest, as they say, is history!
When you are thumbing through potential books to read, you will often see books that are selling well and are collecting all sorts of accolades, and while it is perfectly possible to enjoy these books without having any clue how the books arrived at the point they did, it can also be a lot more enjoyable to read a book when you know the story behind it. Last year, The New Yorker released their list of the 20 best writers under the age of 40, and on the list was Phillipp Meyer, whose 2009 novel American Rust won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and was listed as a New York Times Notable Book - but the journey Meyer took to reach this point was something else altogether! When he was only sixteen years old, Philipp Meyer dropped out of high school and got his GED before spending several years working odd jobs, but by the time Meyer reached the age of 20, he decided he wanted to be a writer. Meyer wanted to study writing at a top school, but because of his educational track record, it took him two years to finally land in a school he wanted - and at the age of 22, he went to Cornell to study writing. Meyer excelled at Cornell, but after school he got a job as a derivatives trader on Wall Street to pay off his student loans while he continued to write - but after finishing his second manuscript, Meyer quit his lucrative job in order to continue writing and land a publishing deal for one of his manuscripts. There was one problem, however: No agents or editors seemed to want to sign on with Meyer's two manuscripts, so he continued writing (now working on a third novel, which he was calling American Rust), continued to get rejected by MFA programs and by agents and editors, moved back in with his parents and continued working odd jobs, and then, finally, Meyer completed American Rust; the book quickly landed a publishing deal, and upon its publication, the book gathered piles of accolades - and the rest, as they say, is history!
Saturday, 1 November 2014
Popular Toys for Grade School Aged Boys
The Relationship Cure: A 5 Step Guide to Strengthening Your Marriage, Family, and Friendships
It can be hard to find toys that are perfect for grade school age boys. With so many toys to choose from it is hard to narrow the choices down to figure out what they may like. There are a number of great toys that you could consider that are extremely popular. One such toy is the ever popular and retro transformers. These toys have gained great popularity lately. For those who grew up in the 80s, transformers are not a new thing at all. One great difference between transformers of the past and the new ones of the present is that new transformers have different difficulty levels to them. You will find these robots range from pretty easty to very complicated. This allows this toy to be purchased for children of different ages. Another toy that has gained a resurgence in popularity is the Cars characters. With the hit Cars 2 just released it is not a huge suprise that the toys have become a hot commodity. You can find cars merchandise ranging from cars characters, sleeping bags, plush toys, and a host of other toys. Some of the most popular toys, of course, are the Mater ang Lightining McQueen characters. Do you want to get something completely different? If so, you may wish to consider something like the Stomp rocket jr. This is a great interactive toy that converts your stomping energy into shooting a foam rocket into the air. Kids love being able to blast rockets into the air and seeing how high they can make these rockets go. It is easy to replace these rockets also if they become damaged or lost over time. A wide range of options when it comes to toys can actually make it quite tough to pick out a toy. Hopefully these options will fit your needs and make it much easier to shop for the boy in your life.
It can be hard to find toys that are perfect for grade school age boys. With so many toys to choose from it is hard to narrow the choices down to figure out what they may like. There are a number of great toys that you could consider that are extremely popular. One such toy is the ever popular and retro transformers. These toys have gained great popularity lately. For those who grew up in the 80s, transformers are not a new thing at all. One great difference between transformers of the past and the new ones of the present is that new transformers have different difficulty levels to them. You will find these robots range from pretty easty to very complicated. This allows this toy to be purchased for children of different ages. Another toy that has gained a resurgence in popularity is the Cars characters. With the hit Cars 2 just released it is not a huge suprise that the toys have become a hot commodity. You can find cars merchandise ranging from cars characters, sleeping bags, plush toys, and a host of other toys. Some of the most popular toys, of course, are the Mater ang Lightining McQueen characters. Do you want to get something completely different? If so, you may wish to consider something like the Stomp rocket jr. This is a great interactive toy that converts your stomping energy into shooting a foam rocket into the air. Kids love being able to blast rockets into the air and seeing how high they can make these rockets go. It is easy to replace these rockets also if they become damaged or lost over time. A wide range of options when it comes to toys can actually make it quite tough to pick out a toy. Hopefully these options will fit your needs and make it much easier to shop for the boy in your life.