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by: Charles Burke
Weaning puppies is a perfectly natural process. Mamma dogs have been doing it successfully for ages, so how hard can it be, right?
But humans, not being dogs, can sometimes forget the natural part, and get confused about it.
Fact is, weaning puppies is an easy, logical process.
When you're ready to begin weaning your new puppies, keep in mind that this should be done gradually, in small steps. You can’t rush it, and you definitely don't want to begin when the puppies are too young.
Sometimes people get impatient and try to begin weaning puppies before they're three weeks old. That's too early. Their bodies need to develop the ability to handle solid food, and that takes time. Wait the three weeks -- it's not really so long.
The first step in the weaning process is to take the mother away from the puppies at least an hour before it’s time for them to eat. This gives the puppies a chance to get good and hungry. They'll be more inclined to try the new, alternative food you offer them.
Remember, when it’s time for the puppies to eat, the mother should be nowhere around.
The alternative food you offer them should be liquid or semi-liquid so it's easy for them to swallow and digest. Solid food won't work for them yet.
You can make a gruel of commercial dog food mixed with water or baby cereal thinned with water. Another option when weaning puppies is to use diluted strained baby food.
Put any of these mixtures in a small, shallow dish. Some of the puppies will have no problem eating. They'll catch on immediately. But there may be a few that just don't get it. So they'll need some encouragement. The easiest way is to put a little of the mixture on the tip of their nose or on their tongue.
When weaning puppies you'll also need to decrease the amount of food you're giving the mother. This causes her to produce less milk. At the same time, you can gradually begin increasing the amount of food you give the puppies, and over the next several days make it less soupy. As they grow and their digestion matures, their food should slowly become more solid, day by day.
Weaning puppies at this point becomes easier because, as the solid food grows more familiar to them, they learn to enjoy it more. Let them eat as much as they want as long as they don't become bloated.
If you approach weaning puppies like this, the process should be simple, painless and easy. Expect to see them completely weaned by the time they're six to eight weeks old.
About the author:
Puppy-Toy-Tips.com
Learn great ways to use puppy toys for training and socializing your new pup. Make sure you're on the right track when training your dog. Also, be sure to get the free eBook of puppy coloring pages for your kids.
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by: Ishi Bansal
Have you ever wondered why toys for babies tend to have so many bells, whistles
and lights? Or why they have so many different textures, and materials and colors?
It's almost as if we want to provide young babies with a whole world of stimulation and
we can't quite get it to them fast enough.
Play gyms or activity gyms as they are sometimes called tend to be a firm favorite with
babies from newborn up to about 12 months. These play gyms and activity nests mostly come
in the form of comfortable, quilted or softly padded playmats, sometimes
raised at the edges with a space in the middle for baby (like a ring doughnut).
And these play gyms can be either brightly colored or in soft, pastel shades.
But don't be fooled by thinking they are just snug and comfy resting places for
babies to fall asleep in!
These activity gyms can provide a plethora of visual, audio and tactile stimulation
for fast developing young inquisitive minds.
Often decorated with well known and lovable characters, Winnie-the-Pooh, Tigger, Eyore,
or farm and zoo animals as well, they can consist of detachable, hanging parts for
small babies to try to grasp. They tend to have parts that are crinkly, soft, scrunchy
textures for baby to touch, squeeze and stroke. Some come with bright twinkling
lights and bells and others make funny sounds, or musical sounds, and some even do both.
You will often find mirrors attached to these activity gyms, so that your baby
gets to find and see its own reflection, often providing hours of fun for babies
and carers alike. All of this is extremely important for developing young minds.
Babies are like a sponge, they are ready to absorb whatever information they can -
and boy - they can't grasp it fast enough!
A lot of new research points to the first three years of life as being critical to a baby's
developing brain. It is a known fact that during this period, not only does the brain triple
in weight but it also establishes thousands of billions of nerve connections. Astonishingly,
at the age of three, a young child has twice as many nerve connections as many adults. Therefore,
in your role as a parent, or primary care giver, it is of paramount importance that you recognize
this and understand just how much development is taking place inside your young baby's brain from
birth until the age of three.
At birth, children have most of the neurons (brain cells) they need for a lifetime however, these
brain cells are not yet linked (or "wired") together to form the complex networks that are required
for mature thought processes to take place. And what happens is that in the early years, young
children's brain cells form these connections, or synapses as they are commonly called, very very
rapidly.
One of the crucial ingredients to aiding these connections to form, is experience, and repetition.
In a word, the more times you repeat something new, like showing a baby how to scrunch up a ball,
the quicker these connections are formed. Therefore, it naturally follows that the more positive
interaction you give an infant or toddler, the more you are helping to stimulate young brains.
This stimulation causes new connections to form neural pathways and strengthens existing ones.
Playing with activity gyms, with all
the bells and whistles that they offer or reading to a child, anything which allows a child to
have positive, interactive processes, will aid your child's brain development.
So, as you lovingly sit and watch your young baby laughing and gurgling on the
play mat or under the activity gym - do not underestimate the power of the changes taking place
in the brain, all enriching an inquisitive mind and arming it with a plethora of knowledge and
understanding for years to come.
About the author:
I Bansal is a mother of two and webmaster of http://www.1st-toys-online.com
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by: Donna Hamer
Have you ever thought about giving a personalized Gift Basket?
Is it just me or do you also get excited when you give a gift to your friends and family and you know they love it!
The downside you give a gift and you just know they hate it! Unfortunately you can’t always get it right because what seems right and the appropriate gift for you isn’t always right and appropriate for the person you are purchaseing for.
Take my mother for instance, if you don’t purchase her a gift say for Mothers Day you will be in the bad books for weeks. Now before you agree with her, let me ask you this “What do you give someone who has everything”? If you could walk around this ladies house you would understand my problem!
Well over the years I have learnt how to stay in her good books by creating something different and unique every year. I also like to make it a gift that I make, so its personal and comes from the heart. Yes you guessed it a personalized “gift basket”.
Leading up to the occasion, I take some time to think about things that Mum has said she liked over the year and things that she has pointed out in a book that she might like. Then I go about looking for items that would fit into a theme that I can put together into a “Basket”. She loves “glass bowls” so I try to use a glass bowl as the “basket” for my gift and then fill it with items that she likes. It could be as simple as some pampering items or a night out to the movies such as popcorn, candies, a drink, chocolates and two movie tickets etc.
Gift Baskets can be all shapes and sizes, you are only limited by your imagination and of course your budget. A gift basket doesn’t have to be big and elaborate it can be something small. Presentation is the key to a stunning gift basket!
I have always struggled with “creative talent” so when I discovered that making gift baskets was very simple, I became a talented person over night!
Something I have found funny since I learnt how easy it was to create a “Gift Basket” is how many friends copy my ideas and give baskets to their friends.
I give “Gift Baskets” for all occasions - from Christmas to Marriages, Arrival of a New Baby, Birthday Gifts for Boys or Girls, Leaving Party in fact the reasons are endless.
For a boys birthday, how easy is it to get a bucket, spade and sand digging equipment. A cool towel, hat or cap (write their name on the hat to give it a unique look), a stick of sunscreen or zinc cream. Then wrap it up !!
For a girl, they love lots of knick knacks or things they can make. Try putting together packets of beads in a container with compartments. Include some wire and hooks. Your local craft store can help you with the items required. You can create this “Gift Basket” for less than $15.00 and they love it !
About the author:
About the Author – Donna Hamer is the author and publisher of 101 Gift Basket Ideas. For a Free 5 part Mini Course on how to create your own “Personalized Gift Baskets” visit www.101giftbasketideas.com
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by: Michael Barrows
What’s in a name? Er…well, everything, really! Of course your little bundle of joy is the sweetest, most beautiful thing you have ever seen and you want to choose a name that reflects his/her individuality, spirituality, uniqueness and all-round special-ness.
But wait a minute!
Remember that the unique baby name you choose will help define junior’s life - how they are viewed and accepted - for many, many years. What sounds cute and original for a 5-year-old, may not sound so funky for a 15-year-old…and what about a 55-year old?
Time was when only celebrities could get away with unique baby names (Zowie Bowie, Dweezil and Moon Unit Zappa, etc), but in the modern world, individuality is more prized than ever before, and increasingly, this starts with our names. Great idea – but don’t allow a flash of a self-indulgence to condemn your child to a lifetime of problems; it’s reported that a Chinese couple named their child “Saddam Sars” to mark the current world events at the time of the birth! I just hope it means something nice in Mandarin, or Cantonese!
This probably wouldn’t have happened in Germany, where names can only be registered if they recognizable, do not ridicule the child and are gender specific. Perhaps there is at least one Chinese child in the world, who will grow up wishing he/she were German!
So – assuming you are not German - what should you do if you want to create a unique baby name, without creating too many problems? Here are some tips and some warnings to make the process less painful:
1. Anagrams: try creating an anagram of an existing name.
2. Father and Mother: try using derivatives of one of the parents’ names, or a combination of both. Alternatively, how does the mother’s maiden name sound as a first name?
3. Telescoping: try dropping letters from another name or a word, until you get a nice-sounding name.
4. Spelling: an unusual spelling of a common name creates uniqueness. However, remember that your child will be condemned to a lifetime of “…that’s David spelt D..A..Y..V..I..D…” conversations.
5. Pronunciation: another trick is to pronounce a common name in an unusual way. But this can also lead to a lifetime of corrections and explanations – as well as teasing and accusations of pretentiousness.
6. History: do some research into names that were popular in previous eras, but have become less so.
7. Family History: are there any unusual baby names that can be used to honor family members or ancestors? But beware family politics…
8. Nature: many names come from the natural world, particularly flowers (e.g. Rose) and it’s a great source for unique baby names (e.g. Gwyneth Paltrow’s daughter Apple).
9. Geography: another useful source of great names - grab an atlas and start searching. David and Victoria Beckham called their first son Brooklyn, which many people think is a cool-sounding name. However, it’s reported that the choice was made because that’s where conception took place. Hmmm, imagine a lifetime in which your name is a constant reminder of your parents having sex! Eeeuuuuww!!!
10. Celebrities: famous people with slightly unusual names are a common source of inspiration. There are lots of teenage “Kylie”s running around the UK since Kylie Minogue’s arrival on the music scene at end of the ‘80’s, and her recent resurgence, will have created a second wave of them. And I’m sure many little “Be’yonce”s have been popping up over the last few years. The only problem is that names like these very soon begin to sound a little silly and “wannabe”.
11. Foreign Names: consider using a foreign version of a name, e.g., Pedro, instead of Peter. Or try using a name from a completely different culture.
12. Nicknames: try using a nickname e.g. Angie, instead of Angela or Angelina. However, make sure the name is will pass the “age test” – see number 17 below.
13. Middle Names: a great way to accommodate individuality when naming your baby, is to combine a common first name with a unique second/middle name. The benefit of this is that your child can avoid embarrassment throughout his/her life by ignoring it of keeping it hidden.
14. Initials: when you have settled on some names, check that the initials aren’t embarrassing. This is an easy trap to fall into and can lead to a lifetime of misery. “Zina Indigo” are may be nice sounding names for your lovely daughter, but make sure your surname doesn’t begin with “T”!
15. First Name-Surname: check how the selected first name combines with the surname. Make sure the two names do not create some something recognizable, to prevent a lifetime of teasing. Also, check the rhythm of the two names; a different number of syllables in each name usually flows much better. Avoid rhyming the 2 names at all costs or your child will hate you forever!
16. The loudness test: try saying the name softly, at normal pitch and shouting it very loudly. You may be surprised at the results.
17. The age test: try to visualize your child with the name as a baby, as a teenager, as a young adult, a mature adult and as a senior citizen. A name can create completely different perceptions of the individual at separate stages of life.
18. The meaning: the final test of the name that you choose should be to check its meaning (if any). Don’t leave your child open to getting a nasty surprise later in life.
Whatever name you decide, don’t fall into the trap of self-indulgence. Remember, it’s not about you, it’s all about your child. Your grand design to celebrate the uniqueness of this new human being, may eventually lead to a lifelong, desperate desire for conformity and anonymity. Even Zowie Bowie eventually changed his name to “Joey”…
About the author:
Michael Barrows is a web publisher specialising in niche marketing. Check out the wealth of baby resources and pick up the FREE ebook "Baby Tips for New Parents" at his website; http://www.all-about-baby-names.com
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by: Criss White
A person's name is something they will carry with them for the rest of their lives. Selecting a baby's name is an important, but often difficult decision for many parents. Follow our guide for a simple process in selecting your baby's name.
Most people have some ideas for good baby names and have thought about it on and off throughout their entire lives. Remember that the other parent and people around you will also have opinions about baby names, so sometimes it is a good idea to consider these opinions. If by some chance you do not have enough ideas for baby names, then search the internet for a baby name directory.
Remember that your new child will be stuck with whatever name you give him or her for the rest of their lives. Common names are "normal" and "safe", but sometimes easily forgotten, especially when you meet a lot of people all at once. Unusual names are hard to remember at first, but once remembered usually stick to memory much better. You may want to choose a name that is easily pronounced from the spelling. When trying to pick a name, decide whether you want the child to have a common name or an unusual name.
If you want a not too common name that is easy to remember, try to think of names of people that you have never met before. For example, I've never personally met anyone named Darien, so perhaps that name is not too common. Although this method is far from scientific, it is a good way to brainstorm.
Want to avoid common names? Check out the following website that allows you the search for the most common names by year:
http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/
Once you have a list of names, you can move onto the second step in the process - picking the best name for the baby. It should be noted that in most cases, the two people who have authority of a new baby's name are the mother and father. The opinions of friends, family members, and other associates can be taken into account as well, but ultimately the parents should make the final decision. The name should be one that both the mother and father like. Here are some methods for selecting a baby's name:
1) The most obvious way to select a name is to just have both parents talk about it until they reach a decision. Most parents can come to agreements this way, although others may be more fixated on their own name choices. If selecting a baby name becomes difficult, try the methods below.
2) The father picks a boy name and the mother picks a girl name before the gender of the child is known (or vice versa). If either parent does not like a name, they can veto the name. For example, if the father picks "John" for the boy's name and the mother does not like it, she can veto. The father then has to pick another name. This process continues until both parents pick names that are mutually acceptable. This method works best for parents that are not too picky about names. Otherwise, the process could last a long time.
3) If you want to involve friends and family, what you will need to do is make a list of names. Choose the names that you are most passionate about and make the list as concise as possible. Have friends and family rate the names on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being best (or rank them from favorite to least favorite). The parents can easily print out these surveys on paper or send the by email. Total up the scores and see what people around you think.
The reach a decision, parents must agree on a process and then follow it. In summary, following these simple steps can take the stress and difficulty out of selecting a baby's name.
About the author:
About the Author - Criss White is a professional web writer on baby and new mother topics for baby and pregnancy websites. For baby shower supplies, information, and more baby related articles by this author, visit My Baby Shower Favors (www.mybabyshowerfavors.com).
Note: If you find this article useful, you may reprint it on your website, e-zine, or in your newsletter as long as the credits above remain in tact and the hyperlinks stay active.
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by: Michael Barrows
Speaking as a Michael (a Hebrew name, meaning “Who is like God”), I’m really proud of my name. And I think that I – mostly - live up to the title! Of course, my mother would probably disagree; I think the phrase “little devil” would probably pass her lips if she was describing me during many stages of my childhood.
But then, my mother has her own issues; apparently her name (Kathleen) is a Celtic name meaning “Little Darling”. Hmmm, that isn’t the way I used to think about her during those regular occasions when she was punishing me for my “not like God” behaviour…!
And that’s the fun of baby name meanings – parents make naming decisions based on many, many different reasons, including family traditions, religion, culture, uniqueness and “it just sounds really nice.” But – in the Western world – we rarely do any real research into the history or real meaning of names. So when the poor/lucky child finally finds out the meaning of his/her “really nice sounding” name, the results can be interesting, ironic, unfortunate or just sometimes hilarious.
You can have a lot of fun thinking up family/friends names, finding out the meanings and trying to make a connection between the two. For example, my eldest brother Clive is apparently “a cliff dweller”, which is coincidental, since he lives at the top of a very long steep hill! Or why not play the game with celebrities – consider the following:
Badu (as in r n’b singer Erykah Badu): African name meaning “Tenth born child”
Winona (as in actress Winona Ryder): Sioux name meaning “Firstborn daughter”
Aaliyah (the late r n’b singer): Arabic name meaning “High, exalted”
Hilary (as in actresses Duff/Swank): Latin name meaning “Cheerful”
Some cultures have very interesting traditions when it comes to baby name meanings. For example, Hindu names usually have connections with very positive things such as truth, beauty, happiness, blessings, etc, or one of the Hindu gods. In the Sikh culture, girls traditionally have the middle or surname “Kaur”, meaning “Princess”, whilst the boys have the middle or surname “Singh”, meaning “Lion”.
An African friend of mine once mentioned that many Africans are given a second name corresponding to the day of the week on which they were born. I think is a really nice tradition, but in my case, my middle name would be “Sondo” (born on Sunday)!! Hmmmm…
Whatever type of name you have chosen, or are thinking about for your “bundle of joy”, its worth doing a little research into the meaning. And it’s never been easier, with the wealth of Internet resources and books available, including my own site at www.all-about-baby-names.com, which is jam-packed with resources, tips and information on baby names, baby name meanings and baby products.
Your search may yield some surprises; for example, the lovely-sounding name “Malory” is French and means “Bad luck”. You could get round this by spelling it “Mallory”, but this means “Without good fortune” in Old German!
Alternatively, you may end up a little confused by different meanings of the same name; for example “Leah” is a beautiful girl’s name, but what does it mean? Well…
• In Hebrew it means “Cow” or “Weary one” – uugghhh! • In Greek it means “Glad tidings” • In Assyrian, it means “Mistress, ruler”
And a final warning: if you are planning to go for a funky, unusual-sounding name, be sure to avoid “Bacia,” – its Ugandan meaning is “Family deaths ruined the home!”
For more information and advice, check out the baby name meaning resources at www.all-about-baby-names.com.
Enjoy your search and happy baby naming!
About the author:
Michael Barrows is a web publisher specialising in niche marketing. Check out the wealth of baby resources and pick up his FREE ebook "Baby Tips for New Parents" at his website; http://www.all-about-baby-names.com
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by: Mike Lindsey
When it comes to your decorating budget it really depends on where the ceremony and reception will be on what decorations need to be present as well as what if any; themes that you are choosing.
For example, if you are planning an indoor dinner, you have to include centerpieces etc. The most common decorating choice for weddings and reception are flowers, and streamers.
While the streamers and various other decorations are generally inexpensive, the flowers can kill you. It is best when choosing your flowers for a wedding service and reception to use false flowers or paper machete flowers as they are cheap and reusable.
For those who would much prefer to use real flowers, it can be much cheaper to go with wild flowers and/or hand picked flowers. It is also a good idea to use them sparingly.
For example, rather than going all out and decorating everything with flowers just use a simple arrangement for the center of the table and place them in small vases or hand made crafts.
Of course you can also opt to keep the flowers strictly in the ceremony. Paper machete flowers re getting more and more popular as well as hand made roses that were created from tissue paper. When they are placed on green pipe cleaners or wires that are covered in green tissue paper they are quite attractive. It is a nice way to save money and spend some time with your friends and family in creating them.
When it comes to the decoration budget, this is a time when you will want the church, chapel or hall for the ceremony to cover them for you.
If that is not possible, the ceremonial decorations can be limited to those involved in the ceremony, such as their clothes. If you must, you can pin balloons to the areas where the guests will be seated or create some flowers out of tissue paper.
Streamers are always used, but there are other ways to decorate that are just as appealing. Here are some good tips for decorating at your wedding on a budget.
· A really unique idea is to use glass containers and putting baby fish in them. It is very unique and attractive, and it is also cheap because the glass containers can be purchased at Wal-Mart and even a dollar store. The fish can be as cheap as you want them to be
· Good old candle holders and candles are always a romantic addition to any wedding decor
· If your reception is at night it is nice to add fireflies to a glass container with holes for air or even butterflies during the day
· False flower arrangements in a bamboo pot are a very nice addition and keepsake for guests
· Using white Christmas lights streamed through greenery is a beautiful decoration and is one that you likely already have available
· Chocolate and candy flower bouquets are sweet accents to the décor and they can be souvenirs for the guests later.
· Balloons, balloons, and more balloons are always fun
These are not the only decorations that are available but you are getting the idea. The best thing that you can do before choosing your decorations is to choose a theme first. Themes for weddings are just like choosing themes for anniversaries and birthdays. Once you can decide on a theme, you can decorate around that theme.
For example, if you are choosing to have your theme be tropical romance, you can use glass containers with sand etc. as centerpieces to your reception. Some extra and easy to afford themes include those that will be listed in the table below as well as some of the things that usually accompany them.
These are common wedding ceremonial themes that are used as opposed to the reception themes mentioned above; of course they can be used as reception themes too.
About the author:
For more tips and ideas on planning your wedding check out http://www.planning-your-wedding.comThe Ultimate Online Guide to Planning Your Wedding
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by: Robert Bezman
You've read all the "best digital camera" articles, got the best price on your first digital camera, and even glanced at its owner's manual. Are you itching to take some shots of your family, or what?
Slow down, soldier. Before you take 200 shots that seem great at the time, but then upon review of the final picture are less than what you expected, let's prepare. Prepare?!?! I'll bet you thought charging the battery was the hardest part of taking great photos, didn't you? Sorry to disappoint you, but if you want to improve your photo results 50% in 2 minutes, let's review some basic advice of the pros.
There are two categories of GENERAL ADVICE which applies, regardless of whether you're using a digital camera to take family portrait poses, baby pictures, pet portraits, group pictures, funny photos, or even maternity portraits. The first category is...
"Good Planning" Advice for Photography Poses
1) Prepare For The Event
Prepare for the event by thinking about every photograph you want to take and what kind of photography pose or poses you would like to capture. Consider who, where, how, and the type of environment.
2) Take Multiple Photographs
Take multiple shots of each pose (remember, digital memory is reusable, a.k.a. "free"). Regardless of what you say or do, people will blink. And don't count on spotting small problems on the tiny camera LCD screen (even on full magnification); which leads to...
3) Check LCD Screen
Check the digital camera's LCD screen for general framing of the picture, any movement, visibility of faces, and the histogram. Note that you can think up a fantastic photography pose; arrange everyone perfectly; and, have the photograph "frozen" (no blinking, and no shaking of the camera)...but, when you check it out in the LCD, you see 2 drunks fighting in the background! And, my favorite...
4) Funny Phrases
Have some funny phrases handy to use just before you take the photo. Don't use it when setting up for the shot. And, don't use the same phrase all the time. Throw in funny anecdotes, phrases, names, words that you know your family will find more amusing than "cheese." A natural smile looks four times better than a fake one. The second category is...
"Location" Advice for Photography Poses
Taking indoor family photography, is very different than outdoor family photograph (duh!). For INDOOR pictures...
1) Wide Angle
You will tend to use the wide angle more often than your telephoto setting. Pay particular attention to your "end people" (those farthest to the right and the left in your viewfinder), and verify there is enough space in picture, so that if cropping is required, the end people don't have to lose a limb.
2) The Flash
Flash considerations are critical. Do not be outside your "flash range." For example, if at ISO 100, your flash can properly illuminate 12 feet, don't attempt any photography pose that requires anyone to stand at 14 feet (unless, of course, it's evil cousin Ira who you want to appear in darkness).
3) Plan "B"
If you need to be further away than your flash allows, here are 2 things you can try...First, increase the ISO setting (but not so much as to produce to much noise), or second, move to a significantly brighter location.
4) Watch Your Background
If there are distracting features, change your settings to blur the background (see the Techniques page). The best photography pose in the world won't look right with a distracting background. And finally...
5) Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall
If there are mirrors or reflective surfaces in the background and you can't find a different location, only take the picture in such a way that the flash is NOT PERPENDICULAR to the surface, but at an angle (unless you WANT a nice photo of your flash).
Outdoor family photography has completely different issues. For OUTDOOR photography...
6) The Sun
Avoid photographing in direct sunlight, or in mixed light and shade, especially faces. Optimal lighting results from a slightly overcast sky.
7) Shade
When photographing in shade, use fill-flash (see terms) when necessary. And, REALLY finally...
8) Beauty
If practical, take the picture at one of the beautiful natural settings near you. Imagine the result of a creative photography pose captured in a stunning environment. Can you say: "Over the mantle!"?
To see 5 different categories of poses with tips, scroll to the middle of http://www.best-family-photography-tips.com/ photography-pose.html
Article courtesy of http://www.best-family-photography-tips.com where you can see some sample pictures including more photography tips.
Copyright 2005 Robert Bezman. All rights reserved.
About the author:
Robert Bezman is a professional photographer and owner of Custom Photographic Expressions. Robert has created www.best-family-photography-tips.comto help the digital photography users create better photographs. Robert has a blog at http://www.best-family-photography-tips.com/family-photography-news.html
by: Patricia B. Jensen
This project is a truly unique kids party activity, combining fun, fantasy, and learning. Kids love getting their hands dirty and learning how things grow. They will also love the idea of making a magical garden place for a fairy to live.
A miniature garden takes little space and can rest on a tabletop. Maintenance requires only a light misting from time to time and watching for fairies to come to call. Just kidding about that last part, but you never know...
Start by collecting various containers such as woven baskets, large shallow bowls or deep dish clay saucers (like a birdbath), or even discarded bureau drawers. Check yard sales for innovative ideas and inexpensive materials.
Next, supply potting soil and a selection of small plants that will reach under a foot when fully grown. Dwarf zinnias, marigolds, violets, ivy, baby's tears and sprigs of vinca are all good choices. There are many types of mosses that will work nicely too, fitting into corners and small areas easily to add texture and interest. A variety of low-growing herbs such as thyme and rosemary lend aroma to the mix as well.
Start by lining your garden container with heavy duty plastic, fill to within an inch of the top with potting soil then kids are ready to landscape the top. Let them choose their favorite diminutive plants, interspersing them with various materials to add charm and character to the fairy garden.
For example, turn a colorful plant pot on its side and submerge it halfway in the soil to serve as a proper fairy dwelling. Add dollhouse sized furniture to set in the garden, popsicle sticks to construct a fairy fence, or small flat rocks to make a wonderful stepping stone path.
A small mirror symbolizing water making a faux gazing pool. The round flat glass beads
used in vases make nice accent pieces too. Tiny garden accessories like terra cotta pots and shovels give your garden a "lived-in" look.
Fairy gardens needn't be for little girls only. Boys can make a miniature dinosaur den using many of the same materials. Herbs, moss and other green plants can make a forest or wooded area in which small plastic dinosaurs return from extinction to live another day. Soil mounded to one side forms a volcano, spilling red aquarium stone lava.
A construction site garden is another option for boys. Tiny rocks, stick logs, and craft stick lumber can be stacked up waiting for the big rigs to move them. Small toy bulldozers and cranes can be scattered about, among the plantings.
These whimsical gardens can go wherever your child's imagination takes them. You provide the materials, they supply the ideas and creativity. Planting and maintaining a miniature garden teaches kids about plants, caring for living things, and most all the fun of gardening.
Copyright 2005 Kids Party Paradise All Rights Reserved
About the author:
Patricia B. Jensen is a mother of three and kids party enthusiast. She is the webmaster and owner of Kids-Party-Paradise.com - a complete resource for kids party ideas including invitations, cakes, decorations, games, costumes, favors, and food.
For all the latest party news, read her Kids Party Blog.
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by: Jon Dunkerley
By Jon Dunkerley
http://www.web-rover.com
Showing off your dog in front of friends and family is something that I personally love to do. Having an obedient, happy slab of lab is like having an obedient happy child. Have you ever been in a supermarket only to come across a screaming baby and a blushing parent? I know I have, and my first reaction is to get as far away from the disturbing scene as possible. I have also been in the undesirable situation of being in public with an unobedient dog and I can say, I feel the pain of the frantic parent!
The term, ¡§A happy dog is an obedient dog¡¨ is one that I really believe holds a lot of merit due to its simplicity. If you have a relatively well behaved dog, that interacts well with the family, it is fair to say that rarely will you or anyone else in that family be angry or even worse abusive towards your pet. On the other hand if your dog is not obedient to a satisfactory level, and does not interact well with the family, one can say that members of that family will have a hard time coping with the pet and this trend can only escalate only leading to the eventual departure of the pet from the family.
When teaching your dog basic obedience, it is wize to make sure that you first have an understanding of the art yourself. Like people, dogs have unique personalities none of which are the same, and it is a good trainer that will take the time to figure out the dog before trying to figure out how to best approach introducing basic obedience. Furthermore, there are many external resources out there for you to take advantage of in order to help you understand the art of training. Books, articles, Obedience Instructors, and the internet, are all viable sources that you should take advantage of when seeking advice, or just experiences from others in your situation.
Below I have listed my top ten components to keep in mind when working with your dog. I did not rank them, as they are all very important to keep in mind as they will only aid you in bonding, understanding, and interacting positively with your four-legged friend:
- Know what your doing ¡V Before comensing any type of training, do your research first! To offen, pet owners try to do all the work their way, get frustrated and take out their frustrations on their pet. Having an understanding of the methodology behind the many types of training, will benefit you to know end.
- Consistancy ¡V Being consistent with your approach is very very important when dealing with your dog in any aspect of life. When working with your dog try to use the same approach each time. Changing training methods mid session for example will only confuse your dog even more than he-she already is. Furthermore, set up training time at least twice a day, and keep to these times. Training time is important, the more sessions you set up the more productivity you can expect in the long run.
- Keep your sessions short ¡V The attention span of a dog is frail at the best of times, thus it is crutial to keep the sessions short. Remember keep the sessions short but do not sacrifice content. Rome was not built in a day.
- Keep training sessions fun ¡V Dogs as do people, like to have fun, and why shouldn¡¦t they? Training can be fun for you and your pet! Be lively, treat good behavior, praise your dog to no end, make him feel like he is the best dog in the world, even if he¡¦s not!
- Never punish your pet for what they don¡¦t know! ¡V To offen, I have seen people talk to their pet with the understanding that their beloved dog is a master of the English language, only to punish them when the desired response is not carried out. This really bothers me because it shows me that that person would rather bully their pet into submitting than taking the time to research, develop and implicate an approach to help the dog learn the desired response to certain words or phrases. (No Hungmay Kowaisa!( Did you understan that? Well you would if you researched the Korean languageƒº
- Train to your dog¡¦s strength ¡V As stated above every dog has its own unique personality, therefore we must identify characteristics of our pets in order to take advantage of them in our training sessions. If your pet is very lively, take advantage of that! During training sessions, be lively yourself! Match your dogs enthusiasm, when your happy, your pet will be happy and your pet will be very happy come training time.
If your dog has a laid back shy personality, take this into account when training. Still be lively and upbeat as this will spark the interest of your dog, however keep in mind that due to his/her personality, displaying comprehention may take longer due to the shy nature of your dog. It is really important to make a shy laid back dog feel super great during training sessions as this can only improve your chances of continuing successful training.
- Incorperate training into your everyday routine ¡V It can be very beneficial to perform individual obedience exercises through out the day. Simply by performing the sit exercise while you brush him, or having the dog sit while you attach his leash can help to imprint the sitting position. Keep little things like this in mind as they can only aid you and your pet.
- Be patient ¡V Remember you are trying to teach your dog! Your dog is a non-english speaking individual, lacking house manners, behavioral skills, curticy, do I need to continue??
Take your time, play to your dog¡¦s strength, praise, respect, keep sessions short and compact, and have fun!
- Empithize with your dog ¡V The best example I can think of for this suggestion, is going to a foreign country and trying to comprehend what people are saying. Somebody will come up to you and start rambling on in a foreign tongue and you have no clue what they are saying. Your dog is in the same predicament with you. When you start training your dog, he-she has no clue on earth what you are saying. How is he-she supposed to respond if he-she doesn¡¦t know what you want? As in the above example, the more time you spend in the foreign country, the more familiar you become with the language. You can apply the same principle with your dog. More training leads to more comprehention, leading to the end result, an obedient dog.
- Reward good bahavior ¡V The best way to reinforce good behavior is to reward it. Others may disagree with this statement, but through my experience with my own dog and others around me, I have found that rewarding good behavior can only aid in maintaining that behavior. In my opinion, the best way of rewarding good behavior is through offering toys or treats. Praise is also worthy but would you rather have an icecream cone, or a good handshakeƒº I personally love icecream and would pick that over a handshake anyday. Your dog is driven by his belly in most cases, and you can achieve astonishing success by baiting your dog with the occasional russle of the treat bag
About the author:
For more great articles and tons of other great dog info, visit our Dog forum or visit our Pet blog
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by: Patricia B. Jensen
Want to become the most popular kids party-giver on the planet?
Keep kids cracking up with these ten tried-and-true ha-ha-hilarious kids party game ideas.
PARROT GAME
Divide guests into two equal groups, one is the Pirates, the other the Parrots. The parrots are very very grouchy and are not permitted to smile. The pirates can do anything they like to get the parrots to laugh. The parrots can only respond parrot-style - if they think they can without crackering-er, I mean cracking - up!!! You might make one of the rules that parrots must answer any questions in "parrot-speak" only. The last parrot to keep a straight face is the winner.
BABY BOTTLE GAME
Before the party, prepare a baby bottle with a new clean nipple for each guest. Fill each bottle with 1 ounce of water and make sure the water runs out of each bottle at the same rate of speed. At a signal, each contestant tries to drink the water the fastest. The first one to finish is the winner. Imagine what great pictures you'll get with this one!
SLEEPING LIONS
One player is chosen to be "it". All other players lie down and become sleeping lions. They lie flat on their backs, keeping as still and quiet as possible. The "it" person has to try to make them laugh by making funny faces but not actually touching them. Anyone who giggles is out. The last lion is the winner.
Variations: Sleeping Clowns, Sleeping Astronauts, Sleeping Pirates, Sleeping Cowboys, etc.
HA!HA!HA!
The object of this game is to keep a straight face while the other players try to make you laugh. Everyone sits in a circle. One child says, "Ha!" The next child adds a second "Ha!" by saying "Ha!Ha!". The third child adds another "Ha!" saying, "Ha!Ha!Ha!"...and so on. Any player who laughs or makes a mistake must drop out of the circle. However, those "drop-outs" can also try to make the others laugh (except by touching them or talking). The player who keeps a straight face the longest is the winner.
Variation: Have each child lie down, resting his or her head on the stomach of the next child. The last child to laugh is the winner.
POOR PUSSY
This is a tried and true game which has been popular for generations. Arrange players in a circle. except for one child who is designated "Poor Pussy". Poor Pussy kneels in front of any player and acts like - you guessed it - a pussy cat. While he or she is meowing, the player must stroke Poor Pussy's head and say "Poor Pussy, Poor Pussy" without smiling. If the player petting Pussy smiles or laughs, they become "Poor Pussy" in the next round.
Think about how difficult it is not to crack up while petting someone's head and saying "Poor Pussy"! To make it worse, Poor Pussy is allowed to do anything to make players lose their composure, including silly faces, strange purring sounds, or other catlike moves. Other players are also permitted to laugh and do whatever possible to make it more difficult for the designated person to keep their composure.
CAT TAILS GAME
Cut thin strips of cloth for each guest at least one yard long and have them put them into the back of their pants, just skimming the ground. Kids then try to step on each other's tails. They are out when they lose their tail. The winner is the last one to keep his tail!
JUNGLE KNOTS
Instruct guests to stand in a circle facing inward. To begin, everyone extends his or her right hand into the ring and takes hold of someone else's hand. Then, they do the same with their left hands. The object of the game is to see if they can untangle the "knot" by stepping over, ducking under people, or turning around. Whatever happens, they can't let go of hands!
FIRE ALARM RELAY
Prepare two sets of fire fighter's clothing, including boots, oversized jackets, hats and gloves. Mark a starting line and place two chairs across the room with an empty wrapping paper tube on each. This will be the location of the fire and the hose to put it out.
Divide guests into two teams and demonstrate the proper procedure for the game. They must put on the firefighter's clothing, run to the chair, pick up the "hose" and run around the chair with it spraying the fire, set the hose back on the chair, return to the dressing station, take off the clothes and go back to their line. The next person on their team then repeats the whole procedure until all team members have taken a turn. The team that completes the relay first is the winner.
This game can be played with any type of clothing. Match it to fit the theme of your party.
MUSCLE BUILDERS
Inflate up to 100 small balloons. Divide guests into two teams and select one guest on each team to be the "weakling". The remaining guests will be "personal trainers". Gather teams on opposite sides of the room and divide the balloons between them. The weakling puts on one-piece long johns or any other simple jumpsuit type of clothing you may have.
When you say "go", the teams of personal trainers must make their weaklings grow instant muscles by stuffing as many balloons as they can into their long underwear. Give teams one minute for this task. When time is up - and you've taken lots of pictures! - remove and count the balloons for each team. The weakling with the most "muscles" or balloons, wins. This can be done more than once with new weaklings.
MUMMY WRAP
Split the party goers into teams of three and give each team a toilet roll. Two persons then wrap the third in the toilet roll so that they look like an Egyptian Mummy. The winning team is the one who in a set time (2 minutes is good) have the neatest and most covered Mummy.
Copyright 2005 Kids Party Paradise All Rights Reserved
About the author:
Patricia B. Jensen is a mother of three and kids party enthusiast. She is the webmaster and owner of Kids-Party-Paradise.com - a complete resource for kids party ideas including invitations, cakes, decorations, games, costumes, favors, and food.
For all the latest party news, read her
Kids Party Blog.
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by: Emma Rath
Mary, Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockle shells
And pretty maids all in a row.
It’s an everyday nursery rhyme, it’s simple to sing with your small child, and apparently this nursery rhyme about a little child watering her garden is watering your little child’s mind!
Early childhood educators have identified pre-reading skills that are necessary for the learning of reading and the mastery of language. They include phonological awareness, or the awareness of speech sounds and rhyme similarities, vocabulary or knowing lots of words, and the more a child loves the enjoyment and pleasure of using language, the more success they will have in reading and writing and academic studies. Nursery rhymes, with their words of imagery, rhymes and rhythm that children find so fun, have all these qualities!
Let’s look at other ways that you are probably already simply, instinctively and effectively watering your child’s mind, and what the researchers are now saying about it.
Let’s look at songs and music, activities that lots of caregivers instinctively share with their children. The National Network for Child Care at http://www.nncc.org/Series/good.time.music.html explains why songs, action songs, music and rhythm are important for children. They allow children to express their emotions, channel their energy creatively, gain confidence in themselves as they coordinate their minds and their bodies together, learn new words and ideas, and learn about themselves as they explore what they like, what they like when and what they can do. Learning these physical and emotional controls, ways of expression and self-knowledge are necessary for a happy life now in childhood and in their future adulthood. This is the real reason why we let our toddlers take out the pots, pans and wooden spoons and bang them, making a terrible ruckus.
How about even simpler, even more unassuming activities, such as having fun blowing a dandelion’s seeds into the air. The child development psychologists Linda Acredolo and Susan Goodwyn in their book “Baby Minds: Brain-Building Games Your Baby Will Love” explain that such a simple yet fun and stimulating activity will stimulate your baby’s brain development. The practical conclusion that these researchers draw from the latest research is that “If your baby is not having fun, it’s probably not worth doing”.
Thus, the conclusion we can draw is “If your small child is having fun, then it’s probably stimulating your child’s physical and mental development”. We already instinctively knew that, and so it’s wonderful to have researchers and experts confirming and encouraging this. Whenever my toddler pulls the toilet paper still on its roll and runs around the house redecorating it in toilet paper, I just tell myself that this is a fantastic activity for his brain, body and creative imagination.
Actually, small children are programmed to learn and to engage in activities that will develop their minds and bodies. It probably has not escaped your attention that kids will naturally invent a fun and interesting game (fun and interesting to the child) out of absolutely anything. The brain plasticity scientist Lise Eliot explains in “What’s Going On In There? How the Brain and Mind Develop in the First Five Years of Life” that there are way too many connections in the brain and communications with the rest of the body – billions of neurons and a quadrillion synapses at last count – for it to be preprogrammed in genetic DNA material. Thus, babies and children are programmed to try things out and to repetitively practise them for days and weeks and months, so that brain circuitry will sprout in the first place and then solidify to become permanent. Actually, this is my own layperson’s description. Lise Eliot refers to it as neurogenesis, synaptogenesis and myelination. It’s the reason why babies kick in the womb, so that the connection between the leg-kicking part of the brain and the actual leg can be developed. It’s the reason why my newly mobile son never tires of playing with the toilet brush in the toilet bowl, developing and practising his hand-eye coordination and his understanding of the physical world, in this visual, audio and tactile activity of splashing water.
We all know that cuddling our babies and children is important for their emotional and psychological development. Lise Eliot gives examples in the chapter “The Importance of Touch” of how touch and physical contact increases physical and brain development. Studies show that premature babies that receive cuddling and massages thrive measurably more and do better on visual baby tests. Children with various medical problems had better clinical outcomes after receiving massage therapy. Perhaps you have seen the famous “Rescuing Hug” (such as at http://www.daurelia.com/spirit/rescue.htm or http://www.snopes.com/glurge/hug.htm), where the physical touch of her baby twin sister was responsible for the very survival of a premature baby.
Let’s talk about talking. The very experienced authority on early childhood development Dr Burton White gives the following advice. Allow your newly mobile child to explore your home. He’ll bring things back to show you and will have a need to be fulfilled when doing that. Stop, quickly look and see what that need is, and then respond to the need. Dr Burton White says that the secret to teaching language, whether it be verbal language or sign language, is to respond to that need with language and play on that need. Dr White is the author of “First Three Years of Life” and “Raising a Happy Unspoiled Child”, and you can see and hear him giving this advice in Joseph Garcia’s “Sign with your Baby” video. And in my house, you can see me having a conversation with a toddler about a wet toilet brush he has just brought me.
How to increase your child’s mathematics ability? Studies have shown that studying music statistically significantly increases children’s math skills and spatial-temporal reasoning abilities. The question now is why. A “Today’s Parent” article at http://www.todaysparent.com/education/general/article.jsp?content=20030903_124111_1696&page=1 cites a brain-imaging “Mozart Effect” type of study that showed that the same parts of the brain were active when listening to Mozart as when doing puzzles and playing chess, suggesting that music is like warm-up exercises for the brain. Another study cited in that article goes much further, suggesting that music is more than just a cultural artifact; that our brains are actually structured for music, just like our brains are structured for speech and walking. Brain patterns were mapped and assigned musical tones to mark changes in neural activity. When played back, instead of sounding like a random sequence of notes, it almost sounded like a melody of a recognizable style of music!
“No!” – We hear it from those terrible-twos toddlers. Well, Lise Eliot in “What’s Going On In There?” presents a study about the effects of parents saying “No”, “Don’t” and “Stop it” on the development of their children. Research established that children that heard a larger proportion of this type of negative feedback had poorer language skills than children whose parents kept their negative responses to a minimum and instead gave encouraging, positive and dialog-inducing responses. The online games at www.KiddiesGames.com provide a fun model of this positive pattern of interaction. When the child playing a game gets something right, the friendly child character on the screen says “That’s right!” or congratulates the player. When the child playing a game clicks on the wrong thing, the upbeat child on the screen doesn’t actually say “No” or “Wrong”. Instead, it explains in the same positive tone what the child playing just did and what another possible (and correct) answer could have been. The feedback is accurate and positively and cheeringly encouraging. As far as I know, there have been no studies done on the effects that toddlers saying “No” to their parents have on those parents...
Can you remember all this information next time you’re interacting with your small child? Let’s summarize it all like the current Canadian CBS Television campaign slogan – “1) Comfort, 2) play with and 3) teach your child”, in that order. This is how you water your child’s mind, and you’re probably already doing it. So follow your instinct, let your child lead the way to play, go with the flow and enjoy playing with your small child. While the results of recent studies may be news to you, the recommended actions are just a reminder!
About the author:
The author, Emma Rath, is the creator of free, fun, educational online computer games for babies and preschoolers at http://www.KiddiesGames.comThese games encourage caregivers to cuddle their children on their lap while participating in games of open-ended exploration that never say “No”, except for one fun game whose serious mission is to undo the instinctive child behavior of hiding in the case of a house fire.
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by: Emma Rath
Danny Glover, the famous American actor, once said that his new year’s resolution was to learn French, because everyone he wants to speak with in West Africa speaks French. If you would like your fun new year’s resolution to be to learn a new language, then there are quite a few different ways you can go about it.
Perhaps you’ve been wanting to learn the language of your Grandmother. Perhaps you would benefit from learning an official language or unofficial second language of your country, such as French in Canada or Spanish in USA. Or Greek in Melbourne Australia! Apparently the second largest Greek-speaking city in the world after Athens, in terms of number of people who speak Greek, is Melbourne Australia! Or perhaps you feel like learning something that feels exotic like Japanese or Swahili. One Saturday in November 2004, the national Canadian newspaper the “The Globe and Mail” put its entire front page in Chinese, explaining that with the globalization of jobs, Chinese will probably be a necessary business language of the future.
A fun way to start learning a new language, especially if you’re not a disciplined type of student, is to enrol in a language course. You meet other people in your class who have the same language interest as you which is fun in itself, you’re being taught by a real teacher, and the once a week schedule of the classes means that you are practising your new language regularly and steadily. Local community centers offer these courses. Colleges, private language institutes and continuing education programs at university offer them. You may be lucky enough to have cultural organizations nearby that offer language courses. For instance, a local immigrant organization in my town offers courses in Swahili, a language spoken in many east African countries. Downtown, a cultural organization funded by France called Alliance Française, offers French courses. A nearby Saturday Chinese school offers courses in Mandarin Chinese for both adults and children, and it’s quite encouraging to see Cantonese-speaking adults there having as much trouble pronouncing Mandarin as the non-Chinese adults!
If you can’t get away to a class, then there are lots of language courses you can study at home: books, audio cassettes, video cassettes, DVDs, music, interactive computer software, and online courses on the Internet. Your local library probably has language learning resources that you can borrow, if you don’t want to start off the year with the expense of purchaseing these materials. When studying on your own in this way, try to devote 10 minutes every day to a bit of study or revision, instead of doing 1 hour one day but then not finding the time to look at it again for a couple of months. With 10 minutes of study each day, you probably won’t feel like you are making progress because the progress is so gradual. However, the progress will also be steady, and in 3 months time when you look back on how much you have learned, you’ll probably impress yourself.
To get you started learning your new language in the next 5 minutes, here are some links to free online courses
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages - On the BBC website, you will find free online courses for French, Spanish, German, Italian, Greek, Portuguese and Mandarin Chinese. And also for Scottish Gaelic, Welsh, Irish and English, and links to British Sign Language.
http://www.word2word.com/course.html - The Word2Word website contains links to free language courses all over the Internet. As of January 2005, it has links for 114 languages, from Abenaki, Albanian and Arabic, to Urdu, Vietnamese and Xhosa. In all, there are 288 links to online courses. So whether you want to learn Cree, Croatian or Korean, hopefully you’ll find a free course for the language you want here.
A great way to learn and practise another language is “language immersion” – being surrounded by people who speak that language and you having to get things done in that language environment. A holiday in a foreign country is a very interesting and fun “language immersion” opportunity. People amaze themselves, speaking words in a foreign tongue that they didn’t realize they knew, when they have to function in a foreign language environment. Closer to home, local immigrant community events may be able to provide you with a language immersion environment without the expense of travel.
My Japanese teacher told us that if you understand more than 5% of what is being said in a foreign language, then you are not at the optimum level for learning the maximum amount possible of that foreign language. If you understand more than 5% of what is going on in your class, go up a level he said! If 95% seems gooblety-gook to you, then that’s perfect he said! Take heart. It means you are soaking up as much of that foreign language as is humanly possible!
According to Ellen Bialystok and Kenji Hakuta in the book “In Other Words”, adults are more capable of learning a second language than most people assume. In the book “What’s Going On In There”, Lise Eliot explains how Noam Chomsky discovered in the late 1950s that all of the world’s languages share the same fundamental structure. He called it “Universal Grammar”. The language you already speak and the language you want to learn both have sentences, grammar, nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions and conjunctions. You may not be able to label those parts of your speech, but your brain is applying those concepts to your speech every day, and has been doing so ever since you were a baby. Experts believe that our brains have specific language circuits, like a computer has specific circuitry to do certain tasks. If you can communicate in one language (and if you are reading this, then obviously you can!), then you have the necessary brain circuitry to communicate in any language.
Which brings us to the subject of babies, kids and language. My father observed that French children must be very clever. While English-speaking teenagers are struggling with French in high school, apparently French children are fluently speaking French right from toddlerhood! (!!!)
Language courses for children exist in our communities, particularly in communities that have vibrant ethnic members. Fun but academically serious Saturday language classes for children are very popular among immigrant families. They are created so that children can learn the language and culture of the old country that their ancestors came from, and they usually embrace the participation of other children from outside their culture. So if you want your child to get a head start in a foreign language, to reap the IQ benefits of being multilingual, and to share and practise with you while you also learn a foreign language, enrol them in Saturday school for Chinese, Italian, Greek, Croatian or whatever language school you find available for kids.
As with adults, lots of multimedia resources are available for teaching foreign languages to children. The latest craze is language videos for babies! Small children find these videos very entertaining and love to watch them. Some well-known titles include Bilingual Baby and Lyric Language. On the Internet, http://www.kiddiesgames.com offers fun free games for babies and preschoolers to learn Spanish and French.
Have you ever thought of learning Sign Language? American Sign Language (or ASL) is the first language of half a million people in the United States and Canada, and is probably the third most used language in USA. Dr Bill Vicars at the ASL University at http://lifeprint.com/asl101 tells us that many deaf people cherish and enjoy their language and deaf culture so much that given the chance to hear, they’d rather remain deaf so as to remain part of their culture. On that website you can find a free online ASL course and visual dictionary.
The benefits of hearing babies and toddlers learning sign language are very exciting. The research of the past decade has shown that hearing infants that learn sign language learn to speak verbally earlier, have higher IQs, have less tantrums during the terrible twos because they can communicate their needs, and are generally happier! There is now quite a choice of entertaining videos for small children that are very effective at teaching kids signs, such as the Signing Time videos at http://www.signingtime.com and the We Sign videos that you can preview at http://www.production-associates.com/wesign.html. In some areas, it’s possible for children to take signing classes such as those of http://www.kindersigns.com or to join reverse integration kindergarten at deaf organizations or signing playgroups.
Have fun carrying out your new year’s resolution of learning a new language. Find some music in your target language that is in a music style that you enjoy and has the words to the songs. Robert Fisher in the book “Head Start” explains that there is a link between music and remembering language. He reports that the Ancient Greeks would listen to the whole of the Iliad chanted to soft lyre music, and this allowed many people to be able to remember long passages from the Iliad.
Have fun! ¡Diviértase! Amusez-vous bien!
About the author:
The author of this article, Emma Rath, produces free online and purchasable download baby and preschooler computer games, including games for learning English, French and Spanish, http://www.kiddiesgames.com
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by: Thaddeus Collins
There are many of us who consider our pets as part of the family, and this is evidenced by a recent statistic that states 65% of all U.S. homes own at least one pet. Along with this increase in pet ownership comes the need for services tailored for our pet’s comfort. And, because of this trend, pet services have grown into a multi-billion-dollar industry that encompasses a wide range of services from pet supplies to recovery services aimed at returning our lost pets.
The largest industry leader is still pet supply, and companies like PetCo and PetSmart are the leading forces, providing everything from pet foods to grooming. Companies like these have evolved because their services are based on the growth of the pet population, and our need to make our pets feel like a family member. This focus has driven the industry from a single section in discount and grocery stores into a wide range of businesses that are tailored at pampering our pets.
One of the services that have grown out of this industry are pet sitting services that will, as the title implies sit for your pet like a baby sitter sits for you children. These services can range from kennels with all the amenities that will pamper your pet while your on extended absences, to small home services that sit for your pets while your at work. The cost for the services can range from a few dollars per hour for basic sitting services to a few thousand dollars for the more posh kennel services that cater to your pets’ every need.
Then there are the specialty service that have become popular by their use in movies and television commercials, and the most recognized of these is the pet walking services. Pet walking services became popular in movies of cosmopolitan life in the inner city, and this service has grown ever since. Another popular service, but not as glamorous is the poopey scooper service, that effectively keeps our streets clean. And, with the recent laws that have been enacted regarding this issue, this service is becoming ever popular.
And finally there are services that have become popular with the growth of the internet; one type of service that is growing is the pet recovery field. This service helps pet owners recover their pets by providing a place to list their pet in advance, so when the lost pet is found, the owners contact information can be retrieved. One company that also includes a free pet identification tag with registration is RecoveryPets.Com and their website is located at http://www.recoverypets.com, and this enables the finder to quickly find the lost pets’ owner by knowing exactly what site visit.
Because of these specialty services our pets are more pampered and secure, and if the pet ownership population continues to grow, we will see an increase in the number of services dedicated to our pets, and the continued growth of this multi-billion dollar industry.
About the author:
Thaddeus Collins is the owner of RecoveryPets.Com a company that specializes in the global recovery of lost pets using a unique tracking number that is registered on the companies website, and can be searched if the pet becomes lost. For more information visit http://www.recoverypets.com
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by: Criss White
Planning on having a wedding or baby shower soon? Getting favors is a nice way of saying thank you to your guests for coming. Here are some tips for saving money when purchasing baby shower or wedding favors.
1) purchase extras off other people - Oftentimes, people get too many favors for their occasion. After all, it is better to be safe than sorry. Once the celebration is over, however, these people may be willing to sell you their leftover favors at a sharp discount. If you don't know anyone personally, then look in the classifieds in both local and national papers as well as online auction sites like ebay.
2) purchase in bulk and sell the leftovers - Sometimes you will be able to save money by purchaseing in bulk. You can sell the extras to other people. If you know other people that are having weddings or baby showers, then you can combine your orders and benefit from lower costs and possibly bulk purchase incentives like free shipping.
3) Make your own favors - If you are crafty, then you can make your own favors. Purchase all the materials at your local craft shop or online. Since you are making them from scratch, you can customize and personalize as well. People will appreciate the effort that went into making your own favors.
4) Find a craftsman - If you find a local craftsman or artist, then there is a chance that you can get a great price from them for your favors. Another possibility is an art student that is still in school. They will usually work for less money than a full time professional.
5) Flea markets and thrift shops - Flea markets and thrift shops are great places to locate bargain items. Also check out closeouts, store sales, garage sales, and live auctions. Oftentimes, you can also negotiate prices with these vendors.
As you can see, there are many ways to save money when shopping for gifts for your guests. Follow these tips and you are sure to save money or favors and supplies for your wedding, baby shower, or any other special occasion.
About the author:
Criss White is a professional web writer on baby and new mother topics for baby and pregnancy websites. See Cheap baby shower favors (www.mybabyshowerfavors.com/cheap.htm) and Inexpensive baby shower favors (www.mybabyshowerfavors.com/inexpensive.htm) for affordable baby shower supplies. Note: If you find this article useful, you may reprint it on your website, e-zine, or in your newsletter as long as the credits and resource box remain in tact and the hyperlinks are active.
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by: Criss White
There are several types of refrigerator magnets that you can make with a little effort and the right materials. Below are some ideas for making magnets for gifts or just for fun.
1. First you need to gather the needed ingredients. The easiest magnets to make are flat magnets that you print out on your printer. These magnets are great for personalized favors and gifts. You will need special magnet sheets that are designed to be printed on, which should be available at most office supply stores as well as online.
2. If you are artistic, then you can draw your own images and scan them into your computer. Or you can draw them using a paint program. If not, you can do a search for free clip art and images, which should turn up plenty of images that you can use. These images can be imported into a word processor.
3. Next, you can insert the desired text. To make sure the text is readable, insert a box with solid background into the picture. This is where you will insert your personalized text.
4. Finally, print out your magnets on your color printer. If you don't have a color printer, then you local copy shop should be able to print these out for you for a reasonable fee.
5. You can also make three-dimensional magnets by using plaster of paris and cookie or soap molds. Fill the molds with the wet plaster and insert a circular magnet into the wet plaster. Cookie cutters can also be used instead of molds.
6. Once the plaster dries, the magnets can now be painted. Other types of decorations can be used as well, like glitter. Once the paint dries, you will have a lovely keepsake item or gift that will last for years.
In summary, with a few cheap ingredients and a little time, anyone can make their own refrigerator magnets. Enjoy!
About the author:
Criss White is a professional web writer on baby and new mother topics for baby and pregnancy websites. See Save the date baby shower magnets (www.mybabyshowerfavors.com/pe007.htm) for more magnet ideas and Baby Shower Magnets - Favors (www.mybabyshowerfavors.com/magnets.htm) for other related baby shower supplies. Note: If you find this article useful, you may reprint it on your website, e-zine, or in your newsletter as long as the credits and resource box remain in tact and the hyperlinks are active.
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by: Criss White
Want to make soap as a gift for your party guests? Here are some simple tips for making soap gifts and favors:
1. There are literally hundreds of different ingredients that can be used for soap making. Basically, you will need the following - soap chips or soap base, essential or fragrance oil for scent, and colorants. You will also need a soap mold and a pot to melt the soap in.
2. The easiest way to make soap is to take an already made bar of soap and melt it down. The bar will already have all the ingredients you need in it. You can then pour the soap into a mold of your choice or shape it as desired. Or you can use a cookie cutter or knife to shape it while it is still warm.
3. If you are using raw ingredients, simply pour and mix them in the mold of your choice.
4. Heating - Make sure to heat the soap slowly to prevent combustion or degradation of smell. 130°F - 155°F is a good general range, although there are slight variations depending on what ingredients you use. Try not to leave the soap unattended for long periods of time while heating.
5. Scent - You won't need too much fragrance oil to scent your soap because scented oil is generally highly concentrated and strong. 0.5-1oz of oil is sufficient to scent a whole pound of soap. The amount you use will depend on the strength of the oil, which varies based on the scent. Mix the oil in with the soap while heating.
6. Coloring - Once again, you will probably not need to much coloring agent. Add a few drops at a time and watch the color change.
7. Mold selection - You can select molds that are themed to your occasion or just use a standard bar mold. For weddings, angels, hearts, and wedding cakes are popular shapes. For baby showers, baby carriages, bottles, and Disney characters are some common themes. The soap can also be carved. If you use a standard bar mold, you can still add personalized themed tags.
8. Finishing touches - After your soap is made, seal it inside a cellophane bag, organza bag, or gift box. Add a favor charms, personalized tag, and message and you have a nice favor for your guest.
Generally, you will want soaps that are 1oz - 3oz in size. These gifts will be used by your guests and are a simple, but effective way to say thank you.
About the author:
Criss White is a professional web writer on baby and new mother topics for baby and pregnancy websites. See Baby Shower Soap Favors(www.mybabyshowerfavors.com/bb.htm) for more soap favor ideas and Make Your Own Baby Shower Favors (www.mybabyshowerfavors.com/make-your-own.htm) for other related baby shower supplies. Note: If you find this article useful, you may reprint it on your website, e-zine, or in your newsletter as long as the credits and resource box remain in tact and the hyperlinks are active.
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by: Melissa Garcia
You've heard the the old saying"Nothing in life is free" right? Well not anymore. My name is Melissa Garcia and I am a mother of two children ,Taylor my daughter and Ryan my son. I got married in 1995 and we decided to have our first child 6 months after.Thats when my husband and I decided that I was going to be a stay at home mom. My husband bought us a computer and soon we got the internet. Boy did that open a whole new world to me! I soon started chatting with moms who clipped coupons,sent in refunds and frequented freebie boards.
My husband thought I was silly. The first month I would save over half on my grocery bill, the second month I was bringing home receipts showing him how I got stuff free at the grocery store. I think he must have feel out of his chair when the third month came along and I came home and the store actually had to pay me to shop there (sitting here laughing and reminicing all these memories while writing this).
Well friends and relatives start asking how are you doing this? So of course I got them started and then eventually started my own website online! My site started out small but quickly grew to over 2,000 people now both men and women and we are growing larger everyday.
Everything is growing so quickly that even my children have stepped into help. My children set down with me and help me sort, staple & cut my coupons. They are learning the value of saving money. Of course daughter is picking up on it faster than my my son. Ryan will say mom can we get that and Taylor will say "Not unless mom has a coupon for it" LOL!! I do alot for people and Im very envolved in my childrens activities. Im one of those people who can't say no LOL and sometimes I feel stressed and under appreciated. I know there are other people out there like me and that is another reason why I started this website. Everyone I know calls me the "Coupon Queen".. My husband is so proud of me that he carries a picture around of me standing next to my free stuff!!.Why even our local news station has called me to do SEVERAL interviews which you can see at http://www.channeloklahoma.com (do a search for coupon queen) My dream now is to go on the "Oprah Show"!!!
We will be starting some coupon classes and also hope to get involved with the battered womens shelters soon!! We hope this gets you as much enjoyment and money savings tips as we do!!
ABOUT OUR SITE:
On our site you can learn how to get FREE stuff from Major companys online with no strings attached!! My mailbox is always filled with goodies. Also did you know there are online sites that will give you FREE Gift Certificates just for registering and visiting there online merchants, no purchase necessary!! I have gotten FREE gift certificates to places like, Toys r us, Target, Walmart, and TJ Maxx.
I tell people how to look for offers in grocery stores from major companies offering free stuff like FREE Movie Tickets just for sending in upc's from their products.Dont forget getting your groceries at 70 to 80% off using coupons! We show you how to get the best deals!
We also have a shoppers alert board Where people post about good deals they find online like office max offering a $20 off any $20 purchase you just pay shipping. Target is one of our favorites. We teach women how to REALLY shop targets clearance section. We are usually the first ones to find the deals as sometimes we find out about stuff thats on clereance before its even marked!!! You should see my gift closet. I already have most of my Christmas shopping done!! We help each other out when we find an amazing clearance sale like $60 karioke machine that I got for $9 or the $100 pokemon gameboys that were not marked clereance but rang up $10 or $15!!!!!
Oh and you cant forget saving money around the home. We have remedies you can make at home like Homemade baby wipes and dryer sheets.Learn how to make your household items last longer. I also talk about sweepstakes! I have won a trip to Cancun and San Antonio.I have won birthday partys for my daughter, 2 cases of cereal ,$100 in groceries and many other items!! My family and friends call me the FRUGAL QUEEN!!!!
Kathie is our Technical Liason and Graphics Coordinator and with out her I don't know what we'd do. So if you like what you see give Kathie a hollar & let her know!!!
Anyone can be a " Frugal/Coupon Queen " and we'll show you how!! And don't forget when you get all those good deals don't forget to donate to you local shelter!!!
To find out more go to: http://www.morestealsanddeals.com
About the author:
Copyright Bio:
Melissa Garcia
CouponQueenofok@aol.com
Edmond,Oklahoma
You may use this article for free for non profit as long as you keep its authenticity and you email me to let me know where it will be posted or published as I would love to let my readers know.I have a pic that would go great with this article if you'd like to email me for it.
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by: Edward Jerin
You might be surprised to know that television is one of the main causes of domestic disputes in America. Either the husband is so ensnared by a NFL game that causes the wife to nag him about work around the house, or the wife is so infatuated with Brad Pitt that she grapples with the husband for the remote control. These are but a few of the instances when television spells trouble for the marriage, and when fact is actually stranger than fiction.
Hence, we MIGHT conclude that if there is a way to reconcile seemingly conflicting television habits, then it can also be a way to reconcile marital differences.
DirecTV DVR by Tivo is a revolutionary product . On one hand, you have the excellent digital quality and a splendid abundance of channels offered by DirecTV, the leader in satellite television broadcasting. On the other, you have Tivo, hailed as the invention that actually changed the face of television viewing. DirecTV DVR by Tivo , being the best thing that has ever happened to our television enjoyment, can also be more efficient than most marriage counselors in the land.
DirecTV DVR by Tivo, with its dual tuners, can record two shows at the same time. It could also allow you to watch one live feed, while recording the other. At home, the spouses no longer have to argue between watching Tom Cruise or the Hawaiian Tropic girls The wife could indulge on some masculine charms while the husband records the fascinating young ladies for future viewing.
DirecTV DVR by Tivo also promises 35 hours of storage.That means that the family can take a two week road trip to visit the in-laws and nobody will miss a single episode of their favorite TV show. Everything they want to watch will be waiting safely for their return. .
Additionally, DirecTV DVR allows users to pause a live feed, something considered impossible in the past. That means that he can freeze the game while he pays for the pizza, or she can put her show on hold while helping herself to a snack in the kitchen. Nothing has to be missed! The husband can simply freeze an NFL game to comply with the wife’s wishes that he tends to their six-month old baby .
If he knows she goes gaga over the mere sight of Keanu Reeves, he could simply program the DirecTV DVR to search the schedules by the actor’s name and the box would automatically record all the shows where that actor makes an appearance. that ought to earn a few brownie points!
Lastly, our happy couple could simply celebrate a peaceful evening together while enjoying the crystal clear quality of digital broadcast as enhanced by the DirecTV DVR. They could laugh and cry together, while savoring each other’s company with a loving embrace. Though marriage counseling professionals might frown as they begin to lose business, DirecTV DVR by Tivo could prove to be the best thing marriage has ever seen.
About the author:
Edward Jerin is a internet author and satellite TV buff. A frequently visited site of the author: http://www.kaptainsatellite.com- Dish Network & DirecTV
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by: Tanin Eh Boon
By Tanin Eh Boon from www.pet-cockatiel.com
Cockatiel bird have been kept and breed successfully in many countries all around the world. Cockatiel bird can be considered as the most widely kept parrot other than parakeet or budgie (budgerigar). Lots of research or expert of cockatiel emerge and many keeper have lots and lots of knowledge of cockatiel bird and their care.
I prepared this topic especially for newcomer birds enthusiast who still unable to make the decision about what species of parrot that they would like to purchase. Well, there are lots and lots of parrot out there in the market. Some is very good for petting but some may not. However, for many people who haven’t own any pet parrot or any pet birds, many will feel that parrot will be the same, with good personality, very friendly, good talker, a cuddle creature and a good friend when we are lonely. However, in fact it is not. Some parrot may be very nippy (bite) and rude, some parrot will tend to attached to only one person (and rude to other people), some parrot may not talk at all, while some other species may not give permission to anyone to cuddle them.
Okay, now we may go the some of the reason why in my opinion, cockatiel is one of the best pet bird for the beginner. Having said this, I didn’t mean that beginner should only keep cockatiel or cockatiel is the only choices – the pet bird enthusiast actually have other option, lots of them but that is only if they are willing to learn more about the species that they choose or interested in.
Price
Price can become major obstacle for the pet bird or pet parrot enthusiast to own their dream bird. Since price of a parrot can range from few buck up until ten of thousand dollar, price is sometime a critical in deciding which parrot that the new comer should choose.
In Malaysia and I believed it happen to many other countries all around the world, price of a cockatiel is not expensive. Price may be different based on the colour mutation of the cockatiel and whether the cockatiel is handfed or parent fed. Normally parent fed cockatiel is cheaper than handfed cockatiel. This is because for handfed cockatiel, the breeder have to spent more time, effort and cost to feed the baby, while for parent fed cockatiel, the breeder didn’t have to put extra effort to the bird and definitely they will have lower cost.
If we compared price of a pet cockatiel ( a good, healthy handfed baby cockatiel which can make good pet) with other species with similar quality (healthy and handfed baby birds) of the bigger parrot , the price is totally different. For the beginner, I think the price of a pet cockatiel is reasonable (even it is not the cheapest).
Noise level
Personally I think all parrot will make some noise. Some of them will have rough squak while some other may have melodies whistling. However, for the normal rule the bigger the parrot it is more likely that they able (able but not necessary they will do) to make higher level of noice. I highlight this topic up because I understand that not everyone have the priviledge to own a very big house (and area) which will able to prevent the noice from their parrot to disturb their neigbhour.
In many occasion, new comer in pet bird or pet parrot keeping fall in love with their dreamed parrot in the first sight or from their reading. They may heard or read about the parrot ability from books or from internet or they may have some friend who have this species of parrot and the parrot able to ‘speak’ (mimic) or perform some trick. However, many fail to realise that different people will have different level of tolerance towards noice level. For some people, they are okay with the noise that their parrot have (in the morning, afternoon and evening and sometimes all day until middle of the night). We also should consider this with the people live around us a.k.a our neigbhour.
Cockatiel will create some noise or whistling sound every now and then especially in the morning and late afternoon. However, if only one individual cockatiel is kept, the noise level that they able to create is not much and still at minimal level compared to other bigger parrot. Cockatiel also didn’t have high pitch sound like lovebirds. They also normally not always ‘sing’ like budgie do. Generally one can keep cockatiel in all type of house – whether it is an apartment, a single house, a link house (terrace house) or a bungalow.
Talking abilities
Generally many parrot will able to mimic. This is not happen to every individual birds but lots of them do. The main different among one species and other is clearity of their voice. Normally big parrot will be easier to train to talk and will have clearer voice. Among the best talker known at this time is African Grey Parrot, Eclectus parrot and Amazon parrot. Cockatoos and macaw family also talk but they are not rank in the top talker bird.
In small parrot category, cockatiel is one of the parrot that have the ability to talk (mimic). Many will learn how to say ‘hello’ and some other phrase which will depend on the training given by the owner. Based on my reading, the species of parrot that hold the records of most vocabulary ( english word) is budgies! strange right ? I believed that many people will think it should be from big parrot family.
I have raised many baby cockatiel and most of them have gone to other good house. There are one individual who currently own by one of my friend which able to mimic ‘hello’. This particular cockatiel name ‘Cupid’, and is less than a year when he mimic that word. If the cockatiel is a handfed baby, they are friendly and more trainable. They are more likely to mimic if the owner spend proper time with them everyday.
Good personality
Human have kept parrot since long time. However, in early stage most of the parrot is from wild caught. Only few that is captive breed. Later, aviculturist is growing and more parrot are produce in captivity. I believed now some of the species that we keep today is totally from captive breed stock and not from wild cought anymore. However, most of the parrot is still exotic and their personality is either still similar to their cousin in the wild or they are still not domesticated. I believed that there are many parrot out there in the market that didn’t have good personality or friendly behaviour.
As far as my experience with my cockatiel, which I believed is more than 100 individual bird (many of them have been sent to good home), I think cockatiel have good, calm and friendly personality. Cockatiel rarely bullies other birds even from smaller species. (provided that they are house in good home and good environment). They normally not charge to people to bite.
Cockatiel also not very moody whereby if the cockatiel is tame, it will be tame. I mean it will not act like a ‘good boy’ in front of you and bite you if you didn’t look at them! Yes, some parrot do this… when you look at them they may stay still but once you didn’t look they come and bite you and they bite hard! Having said this, if the cockatiel is not tame, they will still bite us if we try to catch him.
Cockatiel rarely have mean personality. Most of the cockatiel is friendly, (but some individual is more friendly than other). Handfed cockatiel will still become a tame pet birds even after few year we put them in breeding stock. However, it must be given some time to be used to us again.
Small and compact in size.
Many people likely to be attracted to large bird or parrot. Obvoiusly because they are big and look so elegance. But while these species of parrot look very elegance, they also need lot of space to live happily. For some species of parrot, ten of feets of avairy is their minimum requirement for them to able to perform a healthy lifesyle. Therefore, in many cases many people will prefer to keep smaller species which similair behaviour or pet quality.
Cockatiel didn’t need a very big cage to live happily. A cage of about 3 feet is somehow can make the birds flip their wings and stay healthy. Their cage also didn’t have to be very strong as they are not so destructive. When they are outside their cage, they are also didn’t create any damage to the furniture.
To conclude, there are lots of pets parrot in the market. However, for the beginner I still recommend smaller species of parrot or birds. In these smaller species, definitely cockatiel bird is one of the best option that they should consider.
About the author:
Tanin is a Malaysian birds breeder which kept pet birds since year 1983. His provide lots of information about keeping pet birds especially cockatiel. Find more information on choosing, purchaseing and keeping pet cockatiel at www.pet-cockatiel.com
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