July, 2011

Parties — Comments Off
6
Jul 11

Halloween Costume Ideas For Adults and Kids

Halloween comes once a year and its the one night that being someone else is acceptable. My friends and I certainly enjoy it and here are a few ideas of what to be as a couple or a group. Last year I went as Roger Rabbit and she went Jessica Rabbit.

We painted my face, got red overall and bought some ears that were a foot tall and strapped on with a white head cover. She found a dress just like the movie, bought gloves to match the movie and then a long red wig. We were the best costume at two parties we went to and had a great time. This year is us and friends as Spanky and Our Gang.

We have done the Bavarian beer couple with lederhosen and all the fixings. Its fun to do the goofy things as well as the sexy things for the parties with your adult friends and going out to the bars. Take the doctor and the nurse, a simple set of scrubs for him and a short nurse dress, blonde wig and your set. These are just a few ideas to think of for this best day of the year.

You can be the character of the year with just a few costume add-ons or buy a complete adult costume if you like. If you are looking for the kid costume try and get a complete costume, its sometimes easier and they seem to want to be a character that is currently all the craze.

Crafts-Hobbies — Comments Off
6
Jul 11

Face Painting Ideas-5 Free Face Painting Ideas Online That Could Make You a Face Painting Pro!

Running out of face painting ideas and need to spice things up a little? I know how hard it can be to come up with new face painting ideas when you抳e got 憄ainters block?so hopefully these 5 ideas will help you out at your next face painting gig or party.

1. Glitter: Glitter can add a whole new dimension to your face painting! It can also transform your face paintings for amateur to professional! They can be pretty cheap if you know where to buy them and it抯 very easy to apply! They work especially well with 憄rincess?and 慺antasy?designs and kids love them! As with face paint, you need to remember to only use glitter and stick on jewels that are safe to put on a persons skin (eg. body glitter) Do NOT use aluminum glitter ?polyester only. Aluminum glitter can hurt the eyes and skin.

There are different types of glitter ?Glitter Gel, Glitter (Iridescent) Powders and Glitter Dust. I suggest you try them all out and see which one works best for you.

2. Stick – On – Jewels: Stick on jewels can also add a whole new dimension to your face painting, transforming your face paintings for amateur to pro. And they抮e so easy to use even kids can do it. Simply peel off the back of the jewel and stick the 憇ticky?part of the jewel directly onto the skin or onto the paint that抯 on the skin. That抯 it! Also you can get plastic jewels that need to be stuck on with a little dab of paint.

3. Combining Makeup with Face Painting: Combining cosmetic makeup with face painting is one of the many great face painting ideas if done right and it can save you time! For example Blush can be used to make rosy cheeks on a bunny rabbit instead using pink face paint. Blush is creates a softer color and is quick to apply. Eye Liner Pencil can be used to outline the eyes or any part of a design. For beginners it抯 much quicker and easier than using a brush. Eye Shadow can also be used and perhaps blended with paint on the face.It抯 up to you!

Experiment with these different mediums and find out what抯 right for you, what you like to use and what you think looks most effective!

4. Body Painting to Match the Face Painting: Kids love this idea, trust me ?I抳e tried it many a time, it makes them feel like they have a costume on and really lets them have fun with the character they抳e been painted whether it be a princess or vampire! Although this might sound like it抯 complicated and will take up heaps of time ?it won抰. As long as you keep them simple.

For example if you抮e painted a pretty pink princess face design, why not complement it with a pretty pink bracelet. All you do is take some pink paint, and paint with a brush, a line around the wrist. It抯 that simple, just use your imagination!

5. Costumes and Face Painting: Costumes and face painting, its fun no matter what age you are! And it can be quite easy too, the costumes don抰 have to be over the top. Try a pair of bunny ears to go with a bunny design, or a tiara to go with a princess. How about a black cape to go with a vampire design or a stocking filled with newspaper, pinned on the end of your t-shirt to look like a tale to match a tiger design?

The ideas are endless, just get a little creative, use your imagination and most importantly, have fun with your face painting ideas!

Gardening — Comments Off
6
Jul 11

The Rotating Composter

For anyone looking to make compost in record time then the rotating composter is now the best choice available. Not only are they elegant in design they are designed specifically to make compost fast. We are talking about a matter of weeks rather than months before we have a very high quality compost.

The rotating composter works so well for a number of reasons but chief among them is the basic design and the action of actually rotating the contents.

When we turn the handle we are chopping up the contents, making them smaller and easier to compost. This speeds up the process considerably. On top of this we are evenly distributing the heat that in conventional compost heaps is always at the centre of the pile. By evening out the temperature we are ensuring that all the contents break down quickly and evenly. This speeds up the process no end and is one of the chief benefits of the compost tumbler.

Apart from the fact that we can make compost in two to three weeks the design aspect should not be overlooked. They are compact and easy to site in even the smallest of spaces. They also look very good which is becoming more important to many gardeners.

There are a number of different designs to choose from but they all look very good and would not look out of place in any garden. If you want to make compost fast, without mess, and keep vermin away from the compost then the best choice is the rotating composter.

Holidays — Comments Off
6
Jul 11

Frightfully Easy, Budget-Friendly Kids’ Halloween Costumes

Need a quick and easy Halloween costume that doesn’t scare your budget? There are loads of clever, affordable and adorable options that anyone can make in just a matter of minutes!

Halloween costume stores have some great costumes – but many also have frightful prices. If you’re on a budget – or simply prefer to use your creativity – there are plenty of easy options for making a clever, low-budget Halloween costume for your child.

Bunch of Grapes

This one is a classic! Have your child wear plain sweat pants and sweat shirt or a leotard and tights. Then just blow up purple or green balloons and stick them to the clothing with safety pins. Add a paper or cloth “stem” hat if desired. You can also use curled ribbon to make vine accents.

Sleep Walker

This is an easy one. Have your child wear pajamas, slippers and a robe. Mess up his or her hair for a bed-head look, and have them collect candy in a pillowcase.

Dirty Laundry

Use an old laundry basket, cut out the base, and then slip it over your child’s head. Attach robe belts, scarves or rope to create suspenders to hold the basket in place. For the finishing touch, put some old clothing, empty laundry soap containers, dryer sheets and clothespins to create the “laundry.”

Route 66

On a gray or black sweat suit, create a “road” with masking tape, then make road signs and attach them with tape or safety pins. Don’t forget to make cars (or use small plastic ones) to add to the road!

Smarty Pants

This costume couldn’t be easier! Start with a solid-colored sweat suit, then add rolls of Smarties candy to it with tape or safety pins, and viola! Instant “smarty pants.” Best of all, you can eat part of this costume once Halloween is over!

Lego

If your little one loves Legos, this easy costume will be a hit! Using a large cardboard box, cut openings for your child’s head and arms. Spray paint the box your favorite Lego color and allow to dry. Then use six plastic bowls (all of the same size) and glue them to the front of the box in two rows of three. Once the glue is dry, spray paint the front once again, making sure to coat the plastic bowls. Have your child wear solid colored sweat pants and pull-over sweatshirt (ideally the same color as the Lego), and you’re all set! If you really want to go all out, use a small box and string to create a hat, using the same process as for the body, but use only one plastic bowl on top of the hat.

Bag of Leaves

This costume is incredibly easy – and incredibly adorable! You’ll need a large black trash bag, artificial (or real) leaves, and solid-colored clothing. First, cut holes in the bottom and sides of trash bag for your child’s head and arms. Then tape or glue artificial or real leaves to the outside of the bag. You can also tuck some leaves into the neck hole of the trash bag, leaving some of them partially visible (artificial leaves work best for this). If you want to add more volume to the bag, stuff crumpled up newspaper inside (no one will see it), and then tape or glue the bag shut at the bottom (leaving an opening for your child’s legs).

Jelly Beans

Blow up some colorful balloons, but keep them small. These will be the jelly beans. Then, using a clear trash bag, cut holes into the bottom for your child’s legs. Once your child steps into the bag, fill the are between their body and the bag with the jelly bean balloons. Using ribbon, create suspenders to keep the bag from falling. If you think it’s necessary, attach a sign that says “Jelly Beans” to add to the front of the costume.

Chick Magnet

This is a fun costume for cute little boys! You’ll need some baby chicks for this one (just paper ones!) and some plain clothing, such as a sweat suit. Simply attach paper chicks to the clothing with tape or safety pins, and consider adding a sign that says something like, “Yeah, I’m a chick magnet!”

Lame Excuse

This costume is perfect for slightly older children. On different sticky notes, write several (lame) excuses such as ‘My dog ate my homework’, ‘My alarm didn’t go off’, ‘Cough-Cough…I think I’m getting sick’. Just be creative and come up with as many as you can. Put the sticky notes all over your child’s shirt (you may have to use heavy tape, as well). In just a matter of minutes, your child can become a lame excuse!

With a little resourcefulness and creativity, you too, can create a low-budget Halloween costume that’s unique and entirely memorable.

Parenting — Comments Off
5
Jul 11

The Sacrifices Of A Stepmom

Time

When I first became “stepmom” to my then two small stepchildren, I seemed to sacrifice a lot of time. Time was, and still is, a valuable commodity in our busy household. One of the biggest time stealers was getting organized in order to run our blended family home smoother. I wasn’t a single mom anymore with a tidy, small home in the city, I was stepmom to two and mom to one and mate to my darling in a large rambling multi-level home in the country. Multiply the mess by three! Multiply cooking by three, chaos by three, etc… Suddenly, I had no time for ~me~. Slowly, I learned how to recoup some of that time by backing off and having my hubby do at least half of the things that needed to be done. Ahhhh… relief. So, in reality, I didn’t have to sacrifice *all* of my time, but I did realize that I would have to sacrifice *some* on a regular basis. I could not be “super stepmom”. It wasn’t possible.

Emotional Energy

As a stepmom, you can and probably will expend a lot of emotional energy. Whether it pertains to your stepchildren, the first wife, financial issues, “blended” issues, in-laws, etc… You will find yourself living a complicated life. Stepparenting is very complicated. Finding where *you* fit in to this life, is exhausting. Once you’ve found out where you fit in, and you are happy with it, it’s worth it. You have overcome one of the biggest hurdles stepmoms face. Bravo! Try not to involve yourself in too many issues surrounding the first family, your in-laws or “the ex”. Sometimes it is best to step back and allow them to battle it out. Don’t allow a lot of negative energy into your mind and soul. This is one of the most difficult things a stepmom can accomplish. Stepping back can also be called “detachment”. The trick is to find out what issues to detach from, you detach from issues, not people. If you can do this, you are certainly well on your way to success as a stepmom.

Physical Energy

Physical energy is also another sacrifice, especially for stepmoms with younger children. There may be times when you are the “soccer stepmom”, when you have to escort the children to the doctor or the dentist. If you are a stay at home stepmom, you probably have a lot of responsibility when it comes to housework. Housework is a very demanding physical activity! If you have help from the children and your husband, you are in luck.

Money

There are stepmoms who sacrifice finances/income to be a stepmom. There are stepmoms who actually contribute to child support, child support for children that they did not bring into this world. My hat is definitely off to stepmoms such as these. Of course, if you bring in any kind of an income, you probably help out within the family with expenses. Expenses incurred by a blended family can be exorbitant, especially if you have custody of your stepchildren. Do not sacrifice al of your income, you will probably become resentful if you do. Sacrificing income is a very sensitive subject for many stepmoms.

Space

If you were like me, you started out as a single mom of one child and you had your life “just so”. You rose bushes were pruned regularly, your house was very clean, your lawn was gorgeous and you had more physical space than you might now. This was a big thing for me to overcome. It seemed as though I was swarmed by my stepchildren, I needed ~space~, space to digest the situation and space to figure out just how I was going to make this work. I really needed a “place” of my own. I didn’t need my house back, but I did need a place to go to when I became overwhelmed. So, my husband converted his/our storage room upstairs into a beautiful sewing room, complete with tables, shelving, etc.. That room was my sanity saver for quite a while. Please try to make sure that you don’t have to sacrifice personal, physical space. A cornered/suffocated/ stepmom, is not a happy one. Put a lock on your bedroom door!

Wants

More things I had to sacrifice were “wants”. Now that we were a completely blended family, we had to be careful about money, and how it was spent. My “wants” list had to be pushed aside for a long time. I “want” a bigger house, I “want” a great big office, I “want” a diamond tennis bracelet every year, but the reality fairy tells me this isn’t possible right now while living in our stepfamily. These things, are okay to sacrifice if *you* are okay with it. If you are not okay sacrificing material things, you have to make some changes, and fast. You might even have to make some big life choices that can affect your family dramatically. Be honest with yourself.

First Experiences

One of the most important things that I had to sacrifice was the idea of the “first experiences”. Naturally, if you are a stepmom, your husband has already been through the “baby stage”, the “first house stage”, the “gala wedding” stage etc… This can be quite disconcerting to even the most well adjusted stepmom/second wife. There are some women who feel as though these experiences have actually been stolen from them and feel resentful. I feel this is a normal emotion, and usually, with good communication and a new perspective, you can overcome it. Every experience is new, and it is to be cherished no matter how many times either of you have done it before. The birth of my second son, with my now husband, was actually “a first” for me and for us. It all depends on how you are willing to perceive the experience and your life.

As you can see, there are many sacrifices for stepmoms and second wives. I made most of them. Some are healthy sacrifices and some are not. You must be in great mental and emotional shape to take on the role of stepmom and second wife. If you are not in tip top shape, your relationships, your marriage and your family will suffer, and so will you. Take your time, be objective, don’t give too much of yourself right away, and most of all, take time to be you.

Parenting — Comments Off
5
Jul 11

Understanding Causes and Effects of ADD/ADHD

The exact causes of ADHD are not know yet. It is known that ADHD is connected to the brain’s neurotransmitters. Chemicals that the brain uses are called neurotransmitters. Two of these chemicals are called dopamine and norepinephrine.

When a child’s dopamine and norepinephrine levels are abnormal, they have ADHD. These abnormal levels can be caused by both environmental and biological factors.

Factors that can cause ADHD are: prenatal exposure to tobacco smoke, whether by the mother or surrounding smokers, premature birth, lead poisoning, a mother using drugs and alcohol, malnutrition, low iron or high blood lead in early development stages. If the child has had a serious brain infection or brain trauma, these can be causes as well.

ADHD can be treated with medication that controls symptoms. The most common medications are methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta), dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine), pemoline (Cylert), atomoxetine (Strattera) and Adderall- which a combination drug. The effects of these drugs are seen in the patient’s increased attention and focus or concentration. A decrease in impulsive or hyperactive behavior can also be seen. These drugs should only be used with doctor’s advice and recommendation.

How can I help my child? Children with ADHD are in need for more structure and clearer expectations. The parents, teachers and doctors need to work as a team giving the child the best care. The family will benefit from talking with specialist in ADHD behavior and learning problems. Counseling or structured (behavioral) therapy will be helpful for some children. Talk with your doctor to come up with a suitable plan to help your child.

Babies-Toddler — Comments Off
5
Jul 11

Buying Baby Clothes – 5 Great Tips on Buying Baby Clothes Online

Buying tiny and adorable clothes for your baby is one of the best things you can do for your baby. Take a look at the 5 tips below before buying the clothes for your newborn baby.?/p>

1) Buy Newborn Clothes Slightly Larger In Sizes

Babies grow very fast in the first few weeks of 爈ife. Almost all babies can only fit into newborn size clothing for only a short period of time while some don’t even fit into newborn sizes at all. If you are buying clothes for your baby, it’s a wise choice to get a larger size if possible. You can also keep the size tag of the clothes to track the size of the clothes and increase from there. ?/p>

2) How To Wear Baby Clothes Does Matters

If you are not using diapers for your baby maybe you want to buy clothes that has a full snap opening at the bottom or a zipper at the front. If the clothes is going to be pulled over the baby’s head, be very sure to get baby clothes that have a soft neck opening so you don’t have to force it over the baby’s head. ?/p>

3) Easy Cleaning of Baby Clothes is Important

Baby clothes that can’t be hand-washed or dried clean by machine require way too much effort for most new parents. Be sure to check out the labels on the clothes when you consider for your newborn. There are a lots hand-wash and dry-clean baby clothes on the market today than you would have guessed! ?/p>

4) Baby’s Comfort is Key

Snaps, zippers and elastics can be of discomfort for your baby if they are in the wrong spot or are tight against baby’s skin. It also poses a danger of getting scratched by the zippers too. It’s alright to have zippers only if it has a layer of fabric between your baby’s skin and the zipper. Make sure elastic is covered and check snaps for rough edges that might be scratching against the skin. ?/p>

5) Layering Baby Clothes Works

Babies usually need one more additional layer of clothing to protect them from cold, unless it’s hot. Therefore do remember to choose clothes that allow you flexibility to easily add or remove the layers to keep baby warm and comfortable. If you live in a place that is cold, consider buying baby clothes with this flexibility.

Parenting — Comments Off
5
Jul 11

To Tell The Truth, I Swear

One of the great things about watching our kids grow up is knowing that they can finally communicate with us on a civilized level. Well, they’re getting
closer anyways. At least we know that with the older two, we are gradually getting away from conversations like this:

Your Child: “Barney!”

You: ” Yes. Barney the Dinosaur.”

Your Child: “Barney!”

You: “Yes! Barney is a dinosaur. Isn’t he silly?”

Your Child: “Barney!”

You: “Silly Barney! Can you say Silly Barney?”

Your Child: “Barney!”

You: “Good Boy!”

In fact, my wife and I were just discussing in the van how far our children have come when my oldest son interrupted me:

My Son: “Dad, I know the “F” word.”

Me: “You know what word?”

My Son: “The “F” word. You know…THE “F” WORD.”
–(Sound of tires screeching to a halt)–
Me: “Where did you learn that?”

My Son: “In school.”

Me: “Well, finally our education system has helped our kids be first in something. Stupid school.”

My Wife: “Honey, don’t blame the school. He probably learned it from his friends at recess.”

Me: “Stupid friends.”

My Wife: “Oh, honey…it’s not their fault either. They’re just repeating what they hear at home from their parents….Stupid Parents!”

The day was far from over. My son’s curiosity (which he got from his mother’s side) finally got the best of him.
My Son: “Dad, what does it mean.”

Me: “What?”

My Son: “You know. The “F” word. What does it mean?”

Me: “Nothing.”

My Son: “DAD! It’s a word. It has to mean something. Just tell me.”

Me: “It doesn’t mean anything. THAT’S why they made it into a swear word.”

My Son: “I also know the “A” word.”

Me: “Great.”

My Son: “And the “S” word.”

Me: “Mmm-hmm”

My Son: “Dad…”

Me: “What?”

My Son: “Are there any other words?”

Me: “Definitely not.”

My Son: “Is there a “B” word?”

Me: “No.”

My Son: “Is there a “C” word?”

Me: “Definitely not.”

My Son: “So I know all of them?”

Me: “Believe me son, you are way ahead of where I was at your age.” When things cool down over here, I’ll call the other parents and give them a piece of my mind. I guess I’ve got plenty of time to choose my words carefully.

pregnancy — Comments Off
5
Jul 11

What Causes Cramps and Nausea During Pregnancy?

We all know that experiencing cramps and feeling nauseated during the long months of your pregnancy isn’t fun, but they are considered a completely normal thing to experience during the pregnancy months, and are medically documented. It is known for hundreds of years that those kind of symptoms arrive with a pregnancy and may last for several months, but usually die out after a certain period of time.

If you are pregnant than you probably noticed that the first of cramping and nausea are the most powerful during the first four months, but you need to take that information with a grain of salt, because some women experience those symptoms differently – for the better and for the worse. You experience two different things, and you need to treat them as such – as independent from one another. One thing may be caused from one thing, and another thing from another thing. They might seem to be the symptoms of the same “disease” but they might occur due to different issues, and can be treated, and should be treated, differently.

During the earlier stages of your pregnancy, cramping will be pretty common, but it indicates nothing serious – just bodily changes that appear when a baby develops. Sometimes in the early stages of your pregnancy you might mistake your cramps with periods, since sometimes small amounts of blood appear. This is the result of your uterus trying to fit itself to the newborn.

If you are worried about the appearance of blood during your pregnancy, don’t, since it’s only really serious if there are large amounts of blood, and if you also experience either pains and fevers. If that happens you should immediately go to a doctor and check for a solution and if everything is okay.

Consider cramps as something you need to endure, because its results are good – like morning sicknesses. If you are still worried about them hurting you or disrupting your daily routine, there are several steps you can take to combat and reduce those symptoms. One of the best known ways to treat the symptoms is to heat the area that hurts, which is used instead of medication that can hurt the pregnancy and the fetus. Never take a medication without first consulting your doctor about its consequences.

But with nausea, the treatment is harder to take. Studies have been done and theories have been written, but to this day, the science community is still unsure as to what causes those symptoms. There seem to be many possible causes, but no one is sure yet which is the specific one, and why it is caused.

You can feel better by knowing that nausea is limited in its amount of time experienced, and it often manifests during the first trimester, and after that will slowly settle down and disappear. You can, in the meantime, reduce its effect on your life style and health, and you may also control it in a limited capacity. Just make sure that you are plenty hydrated, and avoid alcohol, sodas, spicy food and caffeine which might increase the level of nausea.

Another method that was tested is acupuncture which was found to be an effective way to treat the nausea and other symptoms that manifest themselves during your pregnancy. You should consider checking it out.

Holidays — Comments Off
4
Jul 11

Personalized Giving With A Gift Basket

One of the most popular gifts today is the Gift Basket. The Gift Basket is great because you can custom make it to suit the tastes of about anyone. That in a nut shell, is why I give Gift Baskets
several times a year. You have a baby shower to go to, and have absolutely no idea of what they have already and what to buy?!? Pick up a cute basket and fill it with bottles, bibs, booties and whatever
else tickles your fancy. How about that hard to buy for teenager…?

Even if you filled their basket with nothing else but gift certificates it would be a hit! You can put in coupons for fast food
joints, movie rentals or movie passes, a gift certificate for music CD’s to give you a few ideas. Speaking of music you can do a basket with that theme. Several CD’s, a CD
case, concert tickets, an MP3 player or CD player. For a gift basket for a football buff you can start with a couple tickets to a game they’d love
to see. Then add a team cap, some munchies to take to the game, and add a football to toss around while you wait for the game to start. You can do that for about any sport,
a fisherman for instance would get maybe a new rod, a fishing license, put in their favorite bait, lures, bobbers, and ect. A mechanic might like a roll of shop towels,
flashlights, tools, and I’m sure by now you get the idea!

For that special someone that you just want to pamper, you can put any of their favorite bath stuffs, lotions, a soothing
tape or CD. If the idea of filling a basket from scratch is something your not sure you want to tackle, many companies offer finished baskets all ready to send to the lucky
somebody! This is something to even consider for that hard to buy for guy, you know which one, the one that has everything he wants because he buys it for himself. So next
time your looking for something different or something more personal think gift basket!

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