Teaching patriotism to our children

Since September 11, 2001 Independence Day for the United States on July 4th has been especially poignant. While there has been a surge in patriotism, we all need to maintain a sense of pride and love for our country whether we are at war or in peace time.

Children need to feel a sense of belonging too, in their family, their classrooms and in their country. They will thrive in an environment of respect, compassion and stability. If we as parents teach our kids to love, honor, show compassion and respect for their country as well as for their fellow man, they will not only be graced by a sense of patriotism, they will become better citizens, and in turn role models for our future generations.

One of our greatest challenges as parents is to raise our children to be honorable and respectful adults. Adopting a path of patriotism is a good reinforcement for them to show honor and a sense of ethics.

Our babies learn kindness at first from our gentle touch; they also learn self-esteem by our praise and respect. They mostly learn these living examples from their parents and at school. We are responsible for teaching them to respect and be kind to others, regardless of our differences. We are also responsible for teaching them to keep their community clean, and to trust that their country will defend and protect them as best it can. I truly believe they should be taught to revere their country’s flag and all it stands for as well.

Children should be taught that, while it might be “legal” to burn their country’s flag as an expression of individual freedom, they would be hard-pressed to get this past Mom and Dad if they ever entertained the idea! This is the posture that a good parent should adopt.

Children need to know they are a very large and integral part of their country’s make up. They are the future parents and government that will uphold the morals and ethics inherited from their parents and grandparents.

Is it too much to ask that our children be patriotic, actively show patriotism, honor their flag, and stand up for what’s right and good about their country? I don’t think so.

It is our job to instill a sense of honor and patriotism in their young hearts, offering them the opportunity to love and honor their country and its flag. In doing so, their actions will be seen as a good example for their country to show mankind and the world.

As much as we want our children to love their country, we also need to recognize the importance of global relationships in today’s world. Setting good examples of patriotism should, in turn, teach our kids that every person counts, no matter where they live, or who they might be, or what country they represent.

Cleaning made easy

Finding time to clean in a fast-paced environment has become more of a chore than ever. Women with hectic schedules can attest that convenience and effectiveness are key when dealing with the overabundance of stains, smudges, dirt and grime encountered daily. While cleaning is never a preferred activity, there are surefire methods to make the process less excruciating. Check out these helpful hints to save some extra time and energy:

Removing Red Wine Stains From Upholstery

There's nothing quite as unsightly as a red wine stain on a light-colored couch or love seat. To remove red wine stains from upholstery, simply blot the area with a paper towel and sponge with warm water to dilute the stain's concentration. Blot again and sprinkle talcum powder on the remaining stain. Let the powder stand for 2 or 3 minutes and then brush off. Repeat the sponging and blotting if the stain remains.

Removing Burned Food

From Pots and Pans

Scorched food on pots and pans can cause a real headache when it comes to washing dishes. Often, no amount of elbow grease will remove a stubborn burned spot. Try pouring full-strength bleach on the scorched area and let it soak for 10 or 15 minutes. Fill the pan with hot water and continue the soaking process. This should clean off the entire area of burned residue. Remember to wash the pot or pan with soap and water to remove any leftover bleach.

Quick and Easy Cleaning at Home and On-the-Go

Women who want an easy-to-use cleaning tool with on-the-run convenience should use the WD-40 No-Mess Pen. Designed specifically to meet the needs of women, the No-Mess Pen is the perfect tool for removing sticker adhesive from picture frames and clothing; erasing crayon marks from floors, walls and counters; and getting rid of scuff marks on floors and other surfaces.

The WD-40 No-Mess Pen-the size of a highlighter-is low in odor, allows precision application, and is a handy item to keep in a laundry room, kitchen utility drawer, office desk drawer or garage. The pocket-sized, pen-shaped applicator is also ideal on-the-go, fitting into pockets, glove compartments, tool kits, purses, travel bags and just about anywhere else.

Young artists may forget where the artwork ends. Don't worry. A special, no-mess pen makes it easier to remove crayon marks.

Creating an ambiance - event planning decoration ideas

You've sent out the invitations, prepared all of the food, stocked up the liquor cabinet and somehow it still doesn't seem as though you are having a party. You forgot one very important detail when you were doing your event planning and that detail was decorations.

Decorations can make or break a party. Just ask any child who has been to a birthday party that was void of balloons and streamers. They'll have a good time, but without the celebratory environment, there is an important aspect missing.

When you are handling the event planning for your gathering, it's important to consider if decorations will add to the experience. You wouldn't want to hang banners or wear party hats during a dinner party with your business associates, but if you are throwing a Valentine's Day Bash, or a picnic to celebrate your nation's birthday, decorations can create a fun and festive mood.

During the event planning stage consider what you would envision the room or venue to look like. By doing this you can get a better sense of what you will require once it comes to purchasing the decorating supplies. If it's a children's birthday party, for instance, you'll want brightly colored balloons, a banner with the words "Happy Birthday" written along it and perhaps even a piсata. A piсata automatically symbolizes a celebration and during the party it becomes a festive focal point as well as being a game and source of hidden treats for the children as the party winds down.

Halloween parties also are much more enjoyable when there are decorations adorning the walls. Netting that resembles spider webs can be purchased for a very reasonable price at many event planning stores. There you'll also find plastic spiders and pumpkins of all sizes that will get your guests into a ghoulish mood. You can even purchase replica cauldrons that can hold snacks in lieu of a regular bowl or serving platter. It adds to the tone of the party when small details like that are incorporated.

Decorations don't need to be bright, colorful or attention grabbing. In the case of an intimate dinner party or cocktails with colleagues, a vase of fresh flowers adds a special touch to the room. It speaks of attention to detail and your guests will appreciate your gesture. You've shown them that you've taken time to add something special to the room. Their presence deserves that.

Regardless of what type of event planning you are doing, adding an extra touch to the aesthetics of the room will not only charm your guests but it will speak to the importance you place on the event. It doesn't need to be dozens of balloons or streamers hung from the rafters but it should add to the mood of the party and the environment. When you are handling your event planning, don't overlook the look of the room. Appropriate decorations should be near the top of your list.

6 popular gift ideas for father s day

Father’s Day is a special day for any man who is a dad. Handmade cards by little ones and his favorite home-cooked meal are not all you can do for him, though. There is a wide variety of popular gifts for Father’s Day that you can choose from to surprise him with. Some easy ideas are:

A gift card to Home Depot, Lowe’s, or his favorite hardware store – I have learned from years of experience with my husband that hardware stores truly are a man’s “toy store”. Any man can make twelve trips to a hardware store in one week and never get tired of it. Not only will he appreciate the gift, but you will get something done around the house or yard!

Fun electronic gadgets – Think digital camera, MP3 players, wide-screen TVs, DVD players, laptop computers…anything electronic. Many of these popular gifts for Father’s Day can be pricey, so make sure you save up.

Personalized gifts – Picture frames, plaques and figurines can commemorate a particular Father’s Day. You can also purchase mugs and t-shirts with photos and special messages.

A gift certificate to a hobby or specialty shop – Whether dad likes golfing, photography, woodworking, or wine, there is a specialty shop for that! Get him a gift certificate that he can use however he would like.

A gift certificate to his favorite restaurant – Most restaurants offer gift cards or certificates in many amounts. Choose dad’s favorite restaurant and get him a gift of a meal. To make it extra special, plan the whole night out on Father’s Day and treat him to a meal there instead!

Apparel – Dads can always use work clothes, casual clothes and chore clothes. Find out what area of dad’s wardrobe is lacking the most and fill in the gaps. Trick dad by taking him to the mall and finding out what colors and styles he likes before you buy.

Other popular gifts for Father’s Day are, of course, the crafty items you can make with your children at home. Anything from the heart will be popular with dad!

Insect destroyers of the underworld

It’s hard to believe that an insect around 1/8” long could do so much damage to a house that may look solid on the outside but in fact is crumbling on the inside. We are talking termites here, those tiny creatures that may go unseen for years until someone (an inspector maybe?) comes looking for them. The thing to remember is that termites work very slowly so it may take several years to do any serious damage to a house, so don’t worry too much until the condition can be assessed. As a mater of fact there are very few cases where termite infestation has caused extensive damage to a home and even then it was repairable, replacing only infected parts.

You could say we (‘we’ meaning developers) brought this problem upon ourselves when we tore down wooded areas to build our houses. There sole diet is cellulose, the main ingredient of wood. Not all termites live in houses because they use it as a food source and carry it to their colony underground layer. The sneaky little devils can always find a way into a house from there base of operations underground. Just like the great escape (ever see the movie?) they built there access tunnels along pipes, through spaces between bricks or any gap that leads to the house. All they need is 1/32nd of an inch to squeeze past so it is always relatively easy to find a way in.

Now that we know what they are, where they live and what they do for a living, let me go into some ways of exterminating them. Right now there are a few chemical termiticides professional exterminators use directly into the soil around the house as a protective barrier before termites can get in. Another way is to uses a less toxic chemical that is applied to the soil in small amounts over a long period of time. This chemical is put in small boxes or tubes with food like wood particles or paper and buried around the house. The theory here is that scout or forger termites will eat the food and carry some back to the colony where it is shared and the others will drop dead – don’t worry it is slow acting, giving them time to go back home! In both cases because many termites do not actually live in the house, just carry the food back to the colonies, barrier protection outside is the usual treatment. The only way termites will stay in the house is if there is a steady source of water like a leaky pipe or even condensation, anyway most like it dark and damp.

As with many insects and the animal world as well, termites are broken down into different categories like subterranean termites that live and bred underground, establish colonies and develop there own ‘caste’ system where some are bred to work or be shoulders and a king and queen that do nothing but reproduce (lucky insects!). Another type of termite does live in the house, that’s the dry-wood ones that live in the south and southwest. The wood they live in does not have to be rotted or even water damaged, in fact these particular insects like it dry and new – they have no respect for the house at all! For these types of terminates, control must be done on site where they live. Holes are drilled into wood members at or near the colony and injected with an insecticide which can be a liquid or in powder form. In extreme cases the whole is wrapped in plastic and fumigated – not a pretty site.

Termites will always be with us in one place or another for two simple reasons – they are so hard to find and exterminating them can be even more difficult, depending where they live.

Pourquoi interesser vos enfants aux jeux de cartes

Les jeux de cartes offrent donc а tous une possibilitй de se divertir dans le calme, mais permettent aussi a la famille de se retrouver, de communiquer, de partager et d'йvoluer ensemble tout en dйveloppant ses capacitйs intellectuelles. Mкme dans les moments calmes, un enfant surtout encore assez jeune a besoin et d'attention et surtout d'occupation, alors que vous rechercheriez plutфt un moment de silence et de tranquillitй.

En effet, la majoritй de ces jeux demande un effort de concentration de par la stratйgie requise et l'assimilation des rиgles de bases.

Les jeux de cartes permettent de faire travailler votre concentration, essentielle dans votre rйussite professionnelle, personnelle et familiale. Pour cela, rien de plus simple. Fixez vous dans les premiers temps un temps de jeu rapide pour atteindre un but prйcis. Prenez ensuite une petite pause. Refaites la mкme deיmarche pour les parties suivantes. Pendant le temps fixe, ne vous dйtournez sous aucun prйtexte de cette partie (tйlйphone, cigarette, une pause cafй). Vous constaterez rapidement qu'aprиs quelques efforts surhumains que cela aurait pu vous demander, que cela n'a, au final, rien de compliquer. Pourquoi? Car vous vous y serez habitue.

Au niveau des enfants, le problиme est similaire. Il est assez difficile pour eux, aprиs une journйe d'йcole, de rentrer directement a la maison et d'entamer immйdiatement leurs devoirs.

Pour les convaincre qu'ils ont tout a y gagner, imposer leur un temps court de concentration au travers des jeux de cartes puis une pause et de nouveau une concentration courte sur une mкme partie. Ils constateront alors bien vite qu'ils auront d'avantage a gagner en restant concentre sur un problиme 20 minutes et finir rapidement le devoir que de rester a papillonner 1 heure pour ce mкme travail.

Rйsultats aussi bien pour les adultes que les enfants: en restant concentrer sur des jeux, votre rapiditй au travail sera dйcuplйe grвce a cet entraоnement rйgulier. En consйquence, vos temps de loisirs se rallongeront, et vous йviterez ainsi les mauvaises consciences relatives au travail bвclй et mal fait, tout en donnant d'avantage de temps a vos proches ainsi qu'a vous mкme.

Alors motivez-vous!

Les jeux de cartes suivants permettant ce dйveloppement ne sont qu'a titre d'exemple.

La Bataille est idйale pour se dйfouler mais aussi pour rester concentrй. Demande beaucoup d'astuce et permet de dйvelopper sa rapiditй d'esprit dans une ambiance bonne enfant.

Le Domino:

Le but est de se dйbarrasser de toutes ses cartes, en complйtant des sйries posйes sur la table. L'ordre des cartes est le suivant Roi/Dame/Valet/10/9/8/7/6/5/4/3/2/As. Le jeu demande une certaine rigueur d'esprit et beaucoup de patience.

L'Euchre:

Date du XIXe siиcle, est le jeu oщ apparait pour la premiиre fois le Joker. Celui-ci se joue а 4 joueurs, en 2 йquipes de 2, les deux partenaires йtant assis l'un en face de l'autre. Le but est de faire 3 levйes sur 5.L'Euchre permet donc de dйvoiler d'avantage l'esprit d'йquipe ou l'individualisme de vos enfants.

D'autres jeux lus connus sont jouables tel le Tarot, la belote, le Nain Jaune (vivement recommandй), Napolйon, le poker, Pyramide, le Rami, la crapette et bien d'autres encore.

Alors qu'attendez vous?

How to choose the right wheelchair mobility scooter lifts

Preserving mobility does not only focus on the mobility device, but the lift or carrier that makes transportation of such mobility device possible is also one very important aspect. A wheelchair/mobility scooter lift helps the physically disabled and the elderly to enjoy more independence. The lift is very convenient for these individuals who uses such mobility devices and regularly require transportation of the device from one place (e. g. home) to another (e. g. mall/park).

Purchasing a lift is considered a long-term investment. Hence, it is important to realize the benefits of an appropriately selected lift. There are several options when selecting a scooter or wheelchair lift. Quality, durable lifts can be bought with three thousand dollars or less, depending primarily on the added accessories or features. Basic lifts that require manual operation is typically less expensive than motor driven lifts that may need professional installation.

When buying a wheelchair/scooter lift, some things must be considered for you to get the right lift that will best suit your needs:

• Brand and model of the mobility device that needs to be lifted – Some wheelchair or mobility scooter may need a particular docking device for it to be safely lifted into the vehicle.

• Exact make, year, and model of your automobile/vehicle – This is important when buying an internal vehicle lift for your mobility device.

• Class of hitch – For external vehicle lifts, a trailer hitch must be installed on the automobile, depending on the required weight capacity. Class II trailer hitches usually have weight capacity of 350 pounds. Class III, on the other hand, can carry up to 500 pounds. In selecting the right hitch for the trailer of your vehicle lift, a snug margin must be allowed. The total weight of the mobility device and the lift’s weight must be at the very least, 10% less than the recommended weight capacity of the trailer hitch.

Supplemental factors to consider before purchasing a scooter/wheelchair lift include:

• the lift’s weight and size specifications;

• material of the lift;

• type of operation (automatic or manual); and

• Warranty from the manufacturer.

After knowing the basics, the consumer is now ready to move on with comparison shopping. Whether buying your lift online or offline, it is still best to review a number of manufacturers and determine which offers the best scooter/wheelchair lift in terms of functionality and price.

Selecting the right lift for your mobility device is actually not a difficult thing to do. For a vehicle lift, what you should figure out first is how far do you usually travel. From here, you can already decide whether to have an external or an internal vehicle lift. Also, your automobile’s compatibility to such lifts is of equal importance.

There are several manufacturers of scooter/wheelchair lifts. You can directly go to their stores to ask about the details of their lift products. Or, some manufacturers sell their products online for a more convenient shopping.

Mobility scooters and wheelchairs can now be easily transferred up or down a number of levels, thanks to this great invention – lifts! Physically handicapped individuals can now optimize and enjoy more their freedom and independence.