07/27/2010
Simple Avocado MangoSalad By Cheryl Tallman www.FreshBaby.com
Ingredients: Salad: 1 avocado, cubed 1/2 mango, cubed 1 graham cracker, crushed Honey-Lime Dressing: 2 Tbsp lime juice 1 Tbsp rice vinegar 1Tbsp Honey 1/4 cup olive oil Directions: Prepare dressing: In small bowl, whisk all ingredients together. Salad: Arrange avocado and mango cubes on a plate or bowl. Drizzle withdressing. Sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs. Serve. Cheryl Tallman is the co-founder of Fresh Baby, creators of theaward-winning So Easy Baby Food Kit, and author of the So Easy Baby Food Basics: Homemade BabyFood in Less Than 30 Minutes Per Week and So Easy Toddler Food: Survival Tips andSimple Recipes for the Toddler Years. Visit Cheryl online at www.FreshBaby.com for more delicious tips. Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com.
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Tags: Character, Courage, Conscience, Character-Courage-Conscience, Family/Relationships - Children, Family/Relationships - Family, Men's Point of View, Morals, Ethics, Values, Parenting, Relatives, Values, Women's Point of View
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07/27/2010
Protect Your Medical Information By John Sileo www.Sileo.comMedical records are one-stop shopping for identity thieves. There is no need to slowly gather bits and pieces of someone's personal information - it's all packaged together: Social Security number, name, address, phone number, even payment accounts. Crooks have received everything from medication to a liver transplant using a stolen identity. And that's only the tip of the iceberg! More than just medical treatment is at stake. Once a thief's medical information is entered into your records, it's extremely difficult to get rid of that information. It's conceivable, for example, that at a later date, you'll need a Type A blood transfusion but be given the thief's Type B with dire consequences. Identity theft of medical records has more than doubled since 2008, as stated in Javelin's 2010 Identity Fraud Survey Report. It's not difficult to imagine the misery that a million Americans have suffered during the past two years when their identities were stolen. And the Poneman Institute, in their National Study on Medical Identity Theft, states that another half million people loaned their insurance cards to uninsured family members and friends. The unsavvy lenders have incurred huge medical bills in this "friendly fraud." Larry Ponemon says that, on average, it costs $20,000 to resolve a medical identity theft case. Unlike credit card companies,where the banks incur the losses, the victims often have to pay for the fraudulent care and sometimes lose their health insurance or have to pay higher premiums to restore their accounts. Even though there are HIPAA laws to protect your privacy, not all health care organizations have strict safeguards in place. The risk goes even further: if someone is treated using your identity, your medical records will more than likely be altered and could compromise your treatment and ability to get service. According to Larry Ponemon, "stolen medical records offer a complete dossier to get a passport in a victim's name that could be used for terrorism." Ways to Protect Yourself:- When you receive an Explanation of Benefits from insurers, read it carefully and save - don't throw it away even when it says "this is not a bill"! If a treatment date or doctor's name is not familiar to you, call the insurer and the billing physician to resolve.
- If your wallet is stolen, contact your insurance company just as you would your credit card company. Don't carry your Medicare card in your wallet. Carry a photocopy and black out the last four digits of the SS#.
- Urge your health care providers to ask patients for photo ID's.
- Ask your doctors for copies of everything in your medical files, even if you have to pay for them.
- Monitor your credit report. If you see medical billing errors, contact your insurer and the three credit bureaus, TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax.
- Avoid Internet and storefront offers of free treatment and supplies.
- Ask for a list of benefits paid in your name and an "accounting of disclosures" which shows who got your records.
About the author: To further bulletproof yourself and your business, visit John's blog at www.Sileo.com. To book John at your next event, visit www.ThinkLikeaSpy.com. John Sileo became America's leading Identity Theft Speaker Expert after he lost his business and more than $300,000 to identity theft and data breach. His clients include the Department of Defense, Pfizer and the FDIC. Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com.
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Tags: Character, Courage, Conscience, Character-Courage-Conscience, Morals, Ethics, Values, Parenting, Values
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07/27/2010
Four Secrets toSearching the National Archives By Phil Stewart www.pwstewart.com
Do you remember the last scene in the 1981 movie Raiders of the LostArk, when the wooden crate containing the Ark of the Covenant was movedinto that huge limitless warehouse for storage?
After recently completing a short very informal survey, that scene fromthe movie is what a majority folks think of when they are asked todescribe the U.S. National Archives. Scary, isn't it. Properly called the National Archives and Records Administration(NARA), located in Washington, D.C., the National Archives is thenation's record keeper. The latest estimates, nobody is sure ofthe exact total, show that the NARA has in its custody approximately:
billions (that's the official estimate) of machine-readable data sets. 9 billion pages of textualrecords. 20 million still photographs. 7.2 million maps, charts, andarchitectural drawings. 365,000 reels of motion picturefilm. 110,000 videotapes.
All of these materials arepreserved because they are important to the workings of the Government,have long-term research worth, or provide information of value to you -the U.S. citizen.
In an effort to allow enhanced access to many of these holdings, NARAdeveloped the online Archival Research Catalog (ARC). This is thelatest Web-based research tool that provides a portal to the contentand physical descriptions of all its archival holdings. Thestated goal is to have 95 percent of NARA's records input into ARC by2016. At this time, about two-thirds of the holdings have beenloaded into this digital super-catalog, but not all of these entrieshave comprehensive descriptions.
Obviously then, ARC is far from complete. It's dynamic, withcontent updates all the time. A subject that you researchone week may have no hits and then have hundreds the next time you do asearch. In addition, ARC is not as easy to use as your favoriteWeb browser, and it has been known to be rather obstinate. Itdoes not have as much "fuzzy logic" as I would think it should have,but maybe that will be part of the next software upgrade. The ARCmain webpage, www.archives.gov/research/arc,has much more detailed information for your review.
ARC Search Tips
Let's say you wanted to do some research on Charles Lindbergh, thefirst aviator to fly across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927. If youload that term in the ARC search box on the webpage noted above, you'llend of with a list of 126 items. Before you start the laborious processof scanning each one of the listings, I would suggest you try theselittle known search tips.
1.After you get your first list of results, find and select the "RefineSearch" button near the top of the page. This will bring up the"Archival Descriptions Advanced Search" page. Set the "LimitResults" button to 2,000 to ensure that you get the greatest number ofhits during your refined search. 2. Now select the "HighlightSearch Terms" box. This will highlighted in yellow the matchingwords in your search criteria. 3. Scroll down the page until youfind a section called "Type of Archival Materials." You haveeight choices to pick from which will reduce the scope of thesubsequent search; and yes, you can check more than one. In thisexample, let's say you're interested in historical film footage ofLindy for that video production you're editing, so you'd deselect allthe types listed except for "Moving Images." This will narrow your nextset of search results to motion picture and video items. 4. Then click on the "Searchbutton" and you should find a list of 77 film titles for your review.
So, whatever you're looking for in the NARA, try using ARC to find it.If you use the four secrets mentioned above you'll have a better thanaverage chance of finding what you are looking for, if it exists in theracks and stacks of the National Archives.
Phil Stewart is aretired Air Force officer, specializing in the videoproduction. He then opened a video production company, worked asa television director, and currently manages a multimediafacility. Mr. Stewart volunteers as a motion picture filmresearcher for the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. He'sauthored four books and three articles on the motionpicture films held within the National Archives. Visit www.pwstewart.com for more information. Permissiongranted for use on DrLaura.com.
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07/27/2010
Frugal Winter Fun with Kids Sara Noel Winter is upon us. The kids get cabin fever quickly when their outside free time is limited. You're looking for some fun things to do before you all start climbing the walls. You don't need a wallet full of cash to enjoy the cold, snowy days. There are all kinds of frugal ways to enjoy the winter season together both indoors and outdoors. Here are a few frugal boredom busters to have as your 911 "plan" for the winter blahs. Outdoor Fun- Homemade Snowman Kit
It's just not winter fun without building a snowman. Assemble a snowman kit to have handy. Your kit can contain the following:A hat, scarf, mittens, plastic carrot nose, charcoal briquettes, (place in plastic baggie) buttons, and can add two dowels or branches for arms.
- Obstacle Courses or Winter Olympics
Jump over the mounds of snow or have relay races.
- Snow Paint
Mix food coloring and water and add to spray water bottles and spray the snow to make colorful works of art outside.
- Homemade Bird Feeder and Bird Identification
Need large pine cones, peanut butter, and birdseed. Add peanut butter to pine cones and roll in birdseed. Keep a journal of birds in your yard. Can borrow a field guide from your local library.
- Snow Ice Cream
Mixing together a quart of milk, an egg, 1 cup sugar, frac14; teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract in a pan. Cook on stove top until mixtures thicken and cool to room temperature. Pour this mixture over fresh snow.
Or
3 cups loose clean snow 2 Tablespoons milk frac14; cup sugar 1 tsp. vanilla extract Mix all the ingredients.
- Snow Golf
Use a tin can buried in the snow for the holes or just carve out holes in the snow.
- Winter Photography
Take pictures of nature. Icicles, birds, trees, etc.
- Identify Tracks in the Snow
Check out a book from your local library on animal tracks. Indoor Fun- Paper Snowflakes
http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/dstredulinsky/links.html
- Paper Airplanes
http://www.bestpaperairplanes.com/
- Make a Snow Gauge
Mark inch lines on a coffee can or plastic liter bottle with the top cut off and setting it outside to catch snow in.
- Mister Grass Head
Materials Needed: nylon knee stocking Grass Seeds Potting Soil Baby Food Jar Wiggle Eyes or glass paint/markers
Using hosiery, place some grass seeds in the toe which is where you want the grass to grow. The hosiery is the head and the excess will be placed in the baby food jar to soak up water. The toe of the hose is the head and the grass will look like hair as it grows. The baby food jar is the body. Add some potting soil in the end of the hosiery on top of the seeds. Make sure the hosiery of seeds and soil is bigger than the opening of the baby food jar.
Tie a knot in the hosiery to keep the seeds and soil in. Completely soak the soil/seed ball. Place the hosiery in a baby food jar filled with water making sure the head is above the mouth of the jar.Decorate the jar to look like Mister Grass Head's clothes and add a face onto the head.
- Smores
Indoor Smores 1/3 Cup light corn syrup 1 Tablespoon. butter 1 (12 oz.) package chocolate chips 4 cups honey graham cereal 1 frac12; cups miniature marshmallows Bring corn syrup and butter to boil. Lower heat and add chocolate.Stir until chocolate melts. Add cereal and marshmallows and stir. Put in square pan, covered with foil. Let set and cut into bars.
- Shadow Drawing
Take brown grocery bags and tape together until you have enough paper to be the same size as your child. Have your child lie down on the paper bags and trace your child's outline. Your child can then color her "shadow" drawing to look anyway she wants.
- Homemade Toys
Decorate a paper towel tube. Paper punch a hole about an inch from the end. Now tie a mason jar ring to a piece of string about one foot long. Attach and tie the loose end of the string through the hole in the cardboard tube. Hold the tube and flip the ring up and try to catch it onto the tube.
Or
Try taking a plastic, Styrofoam, or paper cup and poking a small hole in the bottom, running a piece of yarn through and tying it securely in place and adding a large button on the loose end. Catch the button in the cup.
- Bubbles in the Bathtub
How fun to blow bubbles indoors. Here are some homemade recipes:http://www.bubbleblowers.com/homemade.html
- Homemade Bowling
Use empty water bottles or coffee creamer containers as the pins and find a spare ball to roll.
- Indoor Snowball Fight
Wad up newspaper balls and have a snowball war inside.
- Homemade Hot Cocoa
Nothing beats the winter chills away after a day of snow fun outdoors than hot cocoa. Make your own with this recipe. 2 Cups nonfat dry milk 1 Cup white sugar frac12; Cup cocoa frac12; Cup non-dairy creamer 1 pinch of salt Miniature marshmallows
Combine ingredients and mix well. Store in an airtight container. Add4 tablespoons of mix to a mug and add boiling water. Stir.
- Window Fun
Crayola Window Writers are a product that writes and easily washes off of windows. Can also purchase spray snow for windows.
Sara Noel is a freelance writer and the Editor/Publisher of http://www.FrugalVillage.com, http://www.HomesteadGarden.com and http://www.Homekeeping101.com Visit these sites for information on getting back to basics through frugality, gardening, organizing, home keeping, lost arts, simplicity, homesteading, and natural family living. Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com
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07/27/2010
Purchasing andPreparing Lamb: The Basics You Need To Know Provided by theAmerican Lamb Board americanlamb.com
The family is coming over for a festive spring dinner but you don'twant to serve yet another casserole#133;How about Lamb? It seems soelegant, but it really is easy, especially if you are armed with thebasics.
What To Look For When Purchasing Lamb:
Lamb is widely available in grocery stores and gourmet food retailersacross the country. When shopping, look for American Lamb as ittypically yields more meat on the bone than imported lamb. Also, mostAmerican lamb is fed mixed grains and grasses giving the meat a milderflavor than its European counterparts. When shopping for a cut, lookfor meat that has a soft pink to red coloring with white marbling.
How to Store/Freeze Lamb:
Fresh lamb should be stored in the refrigerator or freezer immediatelyafter purchasing. Refrigerate fresh lamb at 40 degrees Fahrenheit orbelow. Ground lamb or stew meat should be used within 2 days. Lambchops and roasts should be used within 3 to 5 days. If you plan tofreeze lamb for long periods of time, be sure to wrap the originalpackaging with airtight freezer wrap or place in an airtight freezerbag to prevent freezer burn. To maintain optimum quality, frozen lambshould be used within 3 to 4 months.
How to Thaw Frozen Lamb:
- In the refrigerator - oncefrozen lamb has thawed in the refrigerator, lamb roasts and chopsshould be used within 3 to 5 days and ground lamb or stew meat shouldbe used within 1 to 2 days.
- In cold water - leave frozenlamb in its packaging, making sure it is air tight. If not, transfer itto a leak-proof bag. Keep the lamb submerged in cold water, changingthe water every 30 minutes to continue thawing. Cook lamb immediatelyafter thawing. It should not be re-frozen unless cooked first.
- In the microwave - As withthe cold water method, when frozen lamb is thawed in the microwave, itmust be cooked immediately. It should not be re-frozen unless cookedfirst.
CookingLamb:
- For those that don't have alot of experience cooking with lamb, determining when it is done is thebiggest challenge. An overcooked rack of lamb is an expensive mistakeand carving into an undercooked roast can be an embarrassment at adinner party. Don't rely on guesswork - a good meat thermometer willprovide reliable results. DO NOT cut into a roast or chop to checkdoneness. Use an instant read thermometer to give you a quick, accuratereading.
- Lamb, like any cut of meat,always benefits from rest before serving - the rest allows the meat'sjuices to settle. Give thin cuts like chops five minutes before servingand allow 20 minutes before carving roasts. Keep in mind, as the meatrests, its internal temperature typically rises 5 to 10 degrees. Removelamb from cooking heat when the thermometer reads 5 to 10 degrees lessthan your desired temperature.
- To ensure lamb remains safethroughout cooking, the USDA makes recommendations for safe cookingtemperatures.
For recipes and approximatecooking times for use in meal planning, visit americanlamb.com. Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com
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Tags: Adult Child-Parent, Character, Courage, Conscience, Character-Courage-Conscience, Dating, Family/Relationships - Adult Child/Parent, Marriage, Morals, Ethics, Values, Parenting, Regarding Dr. Laura, Values
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07/27/2010
Five Ways to FeelEmpowered During Challenging Times By Anne Mattos-Leedom www.netconnectpublicity.com
Times are tough. Everyone isstruggling one way or another. Perhaps you are being beaten down by theeconomy. You may be watching everything you have built over the yearsslip away. Or you could be one of the millions today who live inconstant fear as you hang on by just a small thread every day.
There is a trickle affect this challenging economy brings to our lives.Relationships with our partners become more stressed as money becomestight and depression and stress fill the air. We can't provide the besteducation and other opportunities for our children and we may be facinga retirement in which we will still be working long after we had hopedto slow down.
All of these fears and stresses add up to an ongoing dread that peopleare facing every day, and in many cases it brings a loss of hope aboutthe future that many have never faced before. Coping with thisemotional trauma is the most important priority we all face. When weare depressed and frightened it is hard to be effective in any part ofour lives. Here are five strategies to help you cope and find strengthduring these challenging times.
- Surround yourself with positive people.This is getting harder and harder to do, granted, However, there arepeople who, in spite of their circumstances, forge ahead and find waysto approach each day with optimism and excitement. You may have fewerfriends if you follow this strategy, but the ones you have will liftyou up and motivate you daily.
- Do something you love everyday. Forme, I couldn't cope without my music. Going for a drive each morningand listening to music fills my soul, reminds me what I care about andgives me the motivation I need to pursue my life every day with focusand enthusiasm.
- Stay organized. When things getdifficult it is very easy to lose track of everything. Time, paperwork,schedules, appointments and even people all seem to fall into a blackhole, simply adding to our frustration. Don't let chaos become your newbest friend. Stay clear and keep your life, professionally andpersonally organized. Nothing is more draining than spending hourstrying to find something essential that has been misplaced, orreestablish connections that have been damaged due to living our livesin havoc.
- Get Up and Move. While exercise isideal and essential at all times, during emotional stress it is moreimportant than ever to move our bodies. Research is clear that movingyour body releases chemicals that make it easier to cope with stress.Work with your circumstances, not against them. A simple walk or a gameof Wii can work wonders to keep your mood up.
- Give Yourself a Break. It really isok that things are not going as you had planned in life. Your financesand circumstances may have changed drastically, but if you can find theopportunities in the darkness, you may discover a new life you willlove even more. Relationships do change, but they can change for thebetter. Most challenges bring wonderful new choices. If you allowyourself to let go of what has happened and give yourself permission tolook for a new and different life, you may find that everything IShappening for a reason. You will see that it all really will be ok inthe long run.
We can't control the journey butwe can always control how we experience the journey.
Anne Mattos-Leedom is theFounder of www.netconnectpublicity.com, a premier online placement agency forexperts and authors. She is also the publisher of www.parentingbookmark.com,a national parenting website for raising kids who care. She lives inNorthern California.Permissiongranted foruse onDrLaura.com
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07/27/2010
GrandparentsMake A Big Difference in Today's Challenging World By Nancy Carlsson-Paige www.nancycarlssonpaige.orgOur adult children don't alwayswant to hear parenting advice from us, their own parents. Theywant to do it their own way, which makes a lot of sense to me. Ithink where we grandparents make a difference is in the relationshipswe have with our grandchildren. How we interact with them, whatwe do together, and the activities we encourage them to do can make acritical difference in their lives, especially today.
Our grandkids are growing up in a world vastly different from the oneour own kids grew up in. These days, a host of social forces and trendsis putting tremendous pressure on children: Here are just a few.
1. Entertainment media are too often replacing active, child-centeredplay and social time with peers and family. Constant depictions ofviolence, aggression, and disrespect towards others are immersing kidsin a world where "might makes right."
2. Aggressive marketing campaigns aimed at kids are pushing a host ofproducts, toys and values on children, teaching them to value "having"over "being" from an early age and to grow up too fast.
3. Economic and time pressures on parents are leading them to quick-fixapproaches to discipline and to rely on "electronic babysitters" likeTV's, Game Boys, and X-Boxes.
4. An overemphasis on standardized tests in our schools is robbingchildren of genuine learning opportunities and resulting in the loss ofunstructured play, arts activities, and social time, all of which areessential to their well being.
Childhood is eroding out from under our grandkids, but we grandparentscan do a lot to get it back. When we have time with our grandchildren,we can offer them activities and relationships that will help restorethe healthy aspects of childhood they are losing out on. We canbring out things to do that will encourage their creativity and healthyplay: open-ended materials like building toys, paper and markers,playdough, collage materials and found objects.
We can scrap the toys linked to media, the Bratz dolls, the coloringbooks--all of the activities that encourage our grandkids to imitatethe scripts they've seen in the media that limit their imaginations andinhibit the telling of their own stories.
We can be mindful too, of the nature of our relationships with ourgrandchildren. We can be a presence in their lives, a person whoaccepts them deeply, without judgment or expectations, someone wholistens completely with an open mind and compassion.
We can take time to ask our grandkids questions that encourage them totalk and to show us more deeply who they are. When we need themto do certain things, we can approach these tasks like players on thesame team: "We have to get the playdough off the table now. How can we do that?" In this way, we can engage our grandkids insolving problems with us,showing them an alternative to the coercive approaches they see allaround them, inviting them to experience with us a more mutual way ofbeing in relationships.
NancyCarlsson-Paige's most recent book is TakingBack Childhood: Helping Your Kids Thrive in a Fast-Paced,Media-Saturated, Violence-Filled World. For more informationvisit www.nancycarlssonpaige.org. Permission granted for use onDrLaura.com
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07/27/2010
"Ancient rings were forged of iron, to last forever like marriage."
Gold wedding rings, tiered cakes with icing, and the long, white gown-all are traditions we associate with modern weddings. However, these traditions have roots in practical, romantic and odd ancient customs.
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Tags: Dating, Family/Relationships - Family, Relationships, Relatives, traditions, wedding
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07/27/2010
Fire Season is Here: Is it Time to Evacuate? By Larry Koman www.disasters911.com On August 30th, 2009, 5 people were stranded in the Station Fire area in Los Angeles after they refused to obey an evacuation order. The Sheriff Helicopter was unable to reach them to pull them out before fire roared through the cannon. This could happen to you. It's the California Fire Season, and if you think it's over, guess again. The Santa Anna winds normally start toward the end of September and can go on into November. With not much rain last year and a long hot summer, thousands of acres are potential infernos. These people were eventually rescued at after the fire passed and other resources were diverted for their recovery but others may not be so lucky. So, what should you do if you're told to evacuate? The answer is simple. GET OUT! If you disobey an evacuation order and get stranded, you unnecessarily put a lot of Firefighters lives at risk and there is no guarantee that they will be able to rescue you. Your family can replace things. They can build a new home; get a new car, by new furniture. They can't replace you. We all understand the desire to defend your property. But when an evacuation order is given for your neighborhood, you need to pack up and get out. Take only what you can reasonably and safely transport. Focus on pictures, important documents, i.e. birth certificates, social security cards, marriage licenses, deeds, etc. Take clothes for all family members for at least several days. Take medications for anyone in the family that needs them. Take personal care items such as toothbrushes, hair and shaving supplies etc. Take any mementos that cannot be replaced. Don't forget the family pets and their food. Dogs and cats may be hiding from the smoke, heat, and noise. Look for your pets where they might hide. If you can't find them and have to leave, leave them food and water where they would look for it. The Fire Management people will do everything they can to protect your home but if they have to dedicate resources to finding people that violated the evacuation order; it takes away from other firefighting efforts that may help protect homes. Yes, you may lose your home. The weight of that is enormous but we have to think in terms of survival and recovery. Make sure your family is safe. Make sure your kids know what's going on and what is being done. Try to be strong for them. If you are upset and worried, they will be upset and worried. If you are strong and courageous, they will be too. Here are some things you can be doing during the long hours of waiting and not knowing. - Get to shelter. If you can, you should get to a hotel or family or friends house. Reduce the demand on emergency shelters.
- Check in regularly with the Command Post for your area for updates and announcements
- If you have a list of you're the contents in your home, review it and make sure it's up to date. If you don't have a list, sit down and start making one. This can be a good family project.
- Contact your insurance company. If you have a local agent, let them know where you are and what the status of your home is. There should be some provision for helping you with the extra expenses associated with being barred from your home.
- Care for your family. This is a horrific time for all of your family, especially kids and pets. Take time to comfort them and insure that they are dealing with the crisis
Don't be a statistic. Be prepared. If a fire looks like it might impact you, get a head start. Be prepared to go and be safe until it's time to go home. Larry Koman is a Certified Property and Casualty Underwriter and a Licensed California General Contractor with more than 20 years experience inspecting and rebuilding homes damaged by fire, earthquake, and other disasters. For more information visit www.disasters911.com. Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com.
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07/27/2010
Character First; Designer Jeans Last By Anne LeedomKids today are very fortunate. They have so many activities to choose from compared to what was available thirty years ago. However, parents might be cautioned to take a moment and decide#133;.is it really in your child's best interest that she take on the next round of activities? Does your child need the expensive items? Do you really have your child's best interest at heart? Let's take a look at what the experts say. Research is very clear on this one. Kids who are taught the virtues of empathy, compassion and self-control#133;those are the kids that succeed. They succeed in relationships, academically, and financially. So, next time you are thinking of what to nurture in your child, think character first. These guidelines can help your child get the most of their activities without compromising the most important goals parents have#133;.teaching their kids to do the right thing. - Set limitations in your household. It's all too common to hear what other kids have or get to do. However, we each need to decide in our own homes what is appropriate and best and then stick to it.
- Have your children earn their own spending money. They will scale down their wish list to affordable quantities and bargains. Children will reason: 'I can't afford this, but I can afford that#133; Life is about learning to make wise choices.
- Fill Kids Up From the Inside Out. Your children may be telling you that they feel empty inside, that they need artificial stimulation because they are hungry#151;hungry for you, the strong family unit. Talk to them more. Do activities together (not shopping). Make sure to have a family dinner hour to listen to them- try to listen more and only speak unless asked to. The best gift is yourself and your time.
- Do volunteer work with your children. Let them see the internal side of life, not merely the external, and how they can make a positive contribution
- Exercise with your children. Exercising will help children get rid of stress, raise their endorphins and make them happier.
- Encourage creative expression. This can be through writing, painting, music, sculpting, carving, cooking, etc. Original thinking will encourage children to become nonconformists, take the road less traveled by and therefore not need the validation of looking like everyone else. Fashion and materialism are expressions of personal style; encourage your children to develop their individual style.
I will be the first to say that money is a nice thing to have. It's a wonderful thing to provide well for your kids and enjoy the perks of life if you can. Just remember to incorporate a steady and consistent dose of gratitude and self-control, or the benefits you many be trying to give your child can actually come back to haunt them#133;and you. Anne Leedom is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of www.parentingbookmark.com. Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com.
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