Baby and Kids

Budgeting is often thought to be a tedious, time-consuming job, but saving money for a new baby at least comes with pleasant anticipation. A baby-friendly budget is not an impossible thing to create, regardless of your income. The difficult part in any budgeting exercise is sticking to that budget while acquiring all the items you will need.

Calculate your current living costs: The initial step in budgeting is to list down all the expenses that make up your costs to live right now, without your baby. Ensure that all expense items are included. The monthly bills you pay regularly are often the easiest place to start: rent or mortgage, car, groceries, power, water, phone, cable, Internet, fuel, membership dues, etc. Once these amounts are written down, start listing expenses on other things. It does not matter how small the expense is: these little items add up. Add up your total outgoings and spendings for a typical month.

Establish your income: You will want to know your total household income. It should be easy to determine all the money going into your bank account. Deduct your expenses from income, and the remainder will be the baby budget. A baby may require about $800 a month or nearly $10,000 in the first year of life. Do you have enough money left over? It is also important to consider differences in income before and after birth. If you have a two-income household, there may be an income loss when the mother has to take time off for the baby. You’ll need to decide on the length of time for that period.

Cut unnecessary expenses: If the baby budget is not enough, look at items that can be eliminated, particularly non-essential spending. A lot of people spend nearly a third of monthly income just for dining out. Saving money on this item will go far.

* Pack a lunch. Cook at home instead of dining out. Make coffee every morning instead of getting it from the coffee shop.

* Fruitful areas for trimming are usually the Internet services, telephone and cable. Downgrade your cable package to a lower-cost package. Does it really matter much if it takes a few minutes longer to get connected online? There could be a $15-$30 difference in monthly fees. If you can reduce the features on these three services down to essential needs, you might save up to $100 a month; that’s $1,200 annually.

* Consider switching to low-gas-mileage cars (but make sure it is child-friendly). Driving a small and more efficient car can save money on fuel, loan repayments, servicing and even your insurance.

* Some baby things should be bought brand-new, such as baby’s crib and car seat. Baby clothes and maternity clothes do not need to be brand-new. People don’t need all the baby gear forever so there are loads of fantastic items in secondhand stores, garage sales and online auctions. Majority of maternity and baby items have been gently used for short periods of time (maybe 3-6 months) and quickly outgrown. There may even be unused items, because new moms often receive an overabundance of them as gifts.

* Be a smart shopper. Go for on-sale products instead of sticking to brand names and favorite products you automatically pick but don’t know exactly why. Many people shop for groceries once a week, buying more than 50 items each time. If less-expensive brands could substitute for half of those items at an average savings of $1 per product, you could save $25 or more each week. This adds up to $1,300 after 52 weeks in a year. The point is for you to start paying attention to prices and key qualities in a product, and not just the brand. This will eventually make the habit of saving money second nature to you.

There are many spending habits you can change. You’ll just have to find out where and how much savings you can generate.

Set up baby’s monthly budget: In the first year of life, you’ll need between $600 and $800 each month for the new baby. You can raise this by saving money over time or revising your budget to make funds available for it every month. You will have to think of essential items the baby will need including expenses before birth (prenatal pills, doctors’ appointments) and after birth. There will also be expenses for delivery and after-birth care. Budgeting some money for health insurance will be desirable; if you do not have health insurance, you will have to plan how to cover these necessary payments.

Start saving money: It would be desirable to start saving money in a high interest savings account even before a child is conceived. You will need a lot of money during pregnancy and the first year of life, and will probably use up most of what you save ahead of that time. But you will find that saving money ahead is also a good way to build up savings for the baby’s future. Placing all your extra money each month in a seperate high interest online savings account helps your money go further by earning interest and can be used for big items, emergencies or towards your childs future such as education.

Copyright (c) 2008 Kaye Dennan

Creating an interesting scrapbook does not have to be costly. Those scrapbook shops can be killers for the credit card. Aren’t they great!

But I would like to tell you about some ideas for creating an interesting background page. I will tell you a few tips so that you can use colored card which is a lot cheaper than patterned paper, to use for your background pages.

First off, you can buy large sheets of thick colored card but make sure you cut them to the right size to fit your folder. And if you are on a budget you can use a ring binder for your work rather than buy a scrapbooking album.

Let Me Give You Some Tips For Creating Backgrounds:

1. Sponging - the best is a sea sponge. The sponging technique can create so many different effects. By using different colours or shades of the same colour paint you can create very interesting work. When using the sponge in various ways you can create circle patterns, lines, swirls and borders - have a go at making patterns on paper before going onto your card. This really is a fantastic technique which you will be able to use in so many different ways and for so many different things.

2. Lines - lines can be created on your background using felt pens and glitter pens. Make sure that the pens are acid free. Rule in your lines lightly with a pencil then rule in the colored lines. This can be any number you like, a lot or just a few. Create patterns that you find interesting.

3. Creating borders - create a border down one side of the page or even right around. Various methods can be used. You can use colored or patterned paper, paint a pattern, material or a row of embellishments.g. a row of hearts. You can make these from other coloured card.

4. Stamping - if you have a stamp, or your friends have, you can stamp a pattern onto the background and paint it in and outline it with a dimensional paint. Butterflies, flowers, leaves, animals and shapes all look great and then coloured with different colors to suit.

5. Glittering - this is a pretty technique. Great for parties, engagements, weddings and the like. You can glitter borders, stamp shapes and more.

Don’t be afraid to try different ideas with the tools you have at home e.g scratch a surface over with sandpaper. Watch out for designs in books, and visit the scrapbooking shops for ideas. Some of the ideas you see can be done differently but quite cheaply using different products.

HAVE FUN!

You may have heard the terms ’structured’ and ‘unstructured’ play and wondered–which is better for my child? That’s a bit like asking, ‘Which is better: fruits or vegetables?’ Someone who eats healthy is going to have both without even thinking about it. If you are providing plenty of playtime opportunities for your child, then both kinds of play are taking place.

Structured play has a set of rules with specific objectives. Most games fall under the category of structured play: card games, board games and classic outdoor games like red-light green-light and tag are all structured activities. Putting puzzles together is a structured activity. So is following directions to assemble a toy, model airplane or Lego theme set. Organized sports-soccer, hockey, tennis, etc.–are all examples of structured activities. Generally speaking, when your child is engaging in structured play, she is seeking the most efficient way to achieve pre-existing objectives.

Unstructured play is open ended with unlimited possibilities. Playing with blocks is unstructured play. So is coloring, drawing or painting on blank paper. Deciding how to play with a toy airplane or doll is unstructured play. Inventing games to play is unstructured activity. So is running around the playground or park. Generally speaking, when your child is engaging in unstructured play, she is in the process of establishing her own objectives.

A consideration more important than structured vs. unstructured play is to ask whether the activity holds your child’s full attention. When your child is fully engaged in an activity, she is arranging and absorbing its meaning. She is finding reward in the act of understanding. She’s enjoying figuring it out, whether the “it”–the activity–is structured or unstructured. If you make a habit of providing quality playtime to your child, she’ll make a habit of taking ownership of an activity and applying her ingenuity and creativity to their fullest. That’s a valuable habit–a lifetime learning habit that does not have its origin in structured or unstructured play, but rather in quality play.

HereÂ’s a kids’ activity thatÂ’s sure to become a household favorite.� It offers your child a fun filled opportunity to use a set of mobility commands in order to achieve a specific goal.� It requires plenty of strategy, so you’re sure to have your child’s full attention from beginning to end.� It also offers enough variety that you can tailor it to keep up with your childÂ’s advancing skills.��

The objective of the game is for your child to navigate a robot through the house without causing it to “malfunction.”� You’ll need these simple things to get started:

• A start and finish point
• A Robot
• A set of Commands

Start and finish point:� use tape or string.� Place one piece on the floor where the activity will start—in a bedroom, for example.� Place the second piece at the finish line—in the kitchen, for example.

Robot:� mom or dad will work just fine.� Take a sheet of red (or any color) construction paper and wrap it around your left forearm.� Secure it with a rubber band or piece of tape.� Take a piece of yellow (or any color) construction paper and secure it to your right forearm.

Commands: these are the commands—Forward, Stop, Red Turn, Yellow Turn.� Forward means walk slowly forward.� Stop means stop.� Red Turn means turn 90 degrees to the left (because red paper is on your left arm).� Yellow Turn means turn 90 degrees to the right (because yellow paper is on your right arm).

A malfunction occurs when commands are given incorrectly:

-The robot cannot turn while� going forward.� The Stop command must be given before the Red Turn or Yellow Turn command. For example, if your child gives the Forward command, and then a few seconds later gives the Red Turn command, the robot malfunctions and the game starts over.� (Indicate a malfunction by saying something like, ‘Malfunction, incorrect command,’ and then tilt your head forward and shut your eyes.)

-The robot cannot be given the same command twice in a row.� For example, if your child calls Red Turn twice in a row, then the robot malfunctions and the game starts over.

-If an unrecognized command is given (such as Backwards), a malfunction occurs and the game starts over.

When your child is able to navigate the robot to the finish line without causing a malfunction, the objective has been met.� When you cross the finish line, use your monotone, robot voice to say something like, ‘Congratulations! You have successfully completed the objective.� It took you three tries to navigate the course without error.� Will we resume robot command instructions in the near future?’��

Some suggested variations to keep up with your childÂ’s skills:

-Create infrared zones.� To do this, place squares of newspaper in various places along the course.� If the robot steps on one of these, a malfunction occurs and the game starts over.

-Play with a timer.� The robot’s battery is low and it must get to the recharging center within three minutes or it will shut down.�

-Charge the robotÂ’s battery with knowledge.� Before the navigation part of the game, charge the robotÂ’s battery with correct answers to questions.� In your robot voice, ask your child questions that correspond with her skill level.� For example, ‘What is 2+1?� What noise does a dog make?� Etc.’�

-Reinforce left and right recognition by playing without the colored paper on your forearms.� The turn commands will now be Left Turn and� Right Turn.

Of course, following directions can be just as challenging as giving directions, so be sure to provide your child an opportunity to play the part of the robot.�� Many other variations will pop up as you’re playing the game.� No matter the exact procedure, this activity reinforces a variety of skills and demonstrates once again that the best resource for fun and learning is good old-fashioned ingenuity.

Good mothers and fathers come in many styles. Each one of us has different strengths, interests, and values that make us great parent. DonÂ’t let yourself become discouraged or disappointed when others ‘give you adviceÂ’ that doesnÂ’t seem to mesh with who you are. Maybe youÂ’re not a roll around on the floor kind of parent with your child.� Maybe youÂ’ve decided to hang back and let your little one explore. ThatÂ’s great! As long as it works for you and your child, nobody should be able to convince you that your method is incorrect or wrong. Once you recognize and embrace your own personal parenting style, you can stop trying to live up to everyone else’s expectations and get on with the business of enjoying being a parent.

It’s important to keep in mind too, that these well-meaning advice givers don’t know your child as well as you.� They aren’t there with your child night and day, watching him grow, learn, explore, play, eat, and sleep.� Only you know what’s best for your child, and you know what works best in your household and for your lifestyle.� As with anything, figuring things out along the way will involve trial and error.�

So when you receive yet another unsolicited piece of advice regarding your child’s napping or nighttime sleeping habits, keep both your and your child’s personal style in mind.� You’ve done the legwork, you’ve experimented, and you’ve learned together what works and what doesn’t work.� The cues should come from your instincts regarding your child and from your child directly.� There’s no such thing as a hard-and-fast rule for sleep habits among children other than it is needed! As your child grows, his cues may change, but as long as you stay in tune with him, his sleep habits shouldn’t have to suffer as a result. And neither should yours.

Losing a friend or a loved one causes a deep, searing pain that is difficult to endure, but sending over flowers can give comfort to those who are mourning.� However, one should always remember that grieving relatives and loved ones may have some conservative views on death.� Before sending over any floral arrangements for a funeral, you might want to know a little bit of etiquette when it comes to sympathy arrangements.�

Since funerals and wakes are very sad occasions to begin with, color should be incorporated into the flower arrangement to bring life and energy into the room and to achieve the purpose of bringing comfort to grieving family members and loved ones.

The first thing you should remember is to send the arrangement to the funeral home on time; if you cannot send them in time for the wake itself, have the flowers delivered to the home of the deceased’s family. Always include a note, even if the message is as simple as “Our prayers and condolences are with you.”� Sending a note makes the gesture more personal and meaningful than just sending a card with the recipient’s name.� Finally, if you knew the deceased well, you might want to look for an arrangement that will reflect his or her tastes.�� If you know that the he or she loved colorful flowers, send an arrangement with pink and yellow roses.� If you know that the deceased loved white flowers, choose an arrangement with daisies and white roses.� Sending an arrangement with the deceased’s preferences in mind will carry more meaning and stand out among all the other arrangements in the funeral home.

The most traditional of all funeral arrangements is the all white wreath.� It is a symbol of peace and tranquility and is your safest bet when sending to any funeral.� Many cultures pay careful attention and are sensitive to the meaning of the flowers you send so if you are not sure, go for a plain white flower wreath.

If you don’t mind sending a colorful flower arrangement to a funeral, I recommend that you choose a lively spray of orange roses or yellow roses.� These warm colors are known to instantly lift the mood and soothe the spirits of anyone who receives them.� Yellow, in particular, is a very cheerful color that represents joy and new beginnings.� There’s nothing wrong with choosing an arrangement that isn’t as somber as lilies and white roses. Death, after all, is the only the start of an afterlife, and a flower arrangement with lively, vibrant colors will remind everyone that this is an occasion to celebrate a life well lived.

A solar collector not a person who stands around collecting sun. A solar collector is a device which is essential to any solar heating system. It gathers the sun?s energy, converts it into heat, and then transfers the heat into water, air, or solar fluid. This device is mainly used in water heating systems, pool heaters, and space heating systems.

The amount of solar energy which strikes the earth’s surface in any given area depends on the location and weather conditions. But it averages out to around 1,000 watts per square meter, under good weather conditions, when the surface of the earth is perpendicular to the sun?s rays. To fully harness this energy, the solar collectors need to be positioned properly.

- Types of Solar Collectors

There are three basic types of solar collectors.

The first type is the flat-plate collector. This is the most common type, and is what is often used in homes, for water and space heating systems. It usually consists of an insulated metal box, with a plastic or glass cover, and a dark absorber plate. It can be used to heat air or liquid, at temperature lower than 180 degrees Fahrenheit.

Then there?s the liquid flat-plate collector. It works by heating liquid as it flows through tubes that are adjacent to the absorber plate. The simplest liquid systems would use potable water which is heated as it passes through the collector and then flows back into the building. Some solar pool heaters use this type as well.

Finally, there is the air flat-plate collector, which is commonly used to heat air. In this case, the absorber plates can be made from either metal sheets, or from layers of screen. The air would be passed through the absorber by the use of a fan, or by natural convection. It should be noted that less heat is conducted by air than by water. This method is thus probably the least is least effective, amongst the different types of solar collectors.

- Positioning

Solar collectors can be placed on the roof, but they must face the sun. If you?re in the southern hemisphere, it should be placed on a north-facing roof, while the opposite is true for those living in the northern hemisphere.

In a very sunny location, sunny, a 2 to 10 square-meter array might suffice to provide hot water for a standard-sized family home.

Due to the fact that space and water heating eats up most of the energy consumption of the household, utilizing a system such as this is an important factor in maintaining sustainable housing. Financially, if you are looking to invest in solar power for your home, the installation of a solar water heating system is usually the best way to start, as the investment-to-savings ratio is usually best with solar water heaters. This would of course have to be researched independently, for your living circumstances and location.

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What is the perfect Christmas gift?� The answer depends on whom you are shopping for.� Whether you have a short or a long list of friends and loved ones who will be receiving Christmas gifts from you this year, one of the most important things to start with is making your list.� A tangible list of names, ideas for their gift if you have any, and a shopping plan is key to a stress free shopping experience.�

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Christmas gift shopping can be just as easy and stress free as shopping for a housewarming, or anniversary gift.� All you need is a little time, energy and money.� Knowing your Christmas budget will also be very helpful.� You need to have some idea of how much money the gift for each person on your list can cost so that you don’t blow your entire budget on only 1 or 2 gifts.� With a long list of potential gift receivers, write down what you found for that person next to their name on your list, don’t leave it to memory, that will leave the door wide open for double gift purchasing.� Also, grouping together the people who need similar gifts will help you when you are shopping.� That way you will know that when you are in the toy store, whether online or in your town, there are 3 different people who need items from there.�

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For those of you with very little time in your day to devote to shopping, the internet is quickly becoming the number one resource for many holiday Christmas gift shoppers.� Not only can it be done from the comfort of your own home, but it is never closed for business no matter what time you knock on its door, and the variety of shops you have at your disposal is unlimited.� In many cases, the best deals and better prices for the items you are searching for will be found via the internet.� The search engines that you have access to will help you narrow down your search.� With your list in hand, you can enter specific criteria as to what you are looking for, like unique personalized gifts with your child’s picture on it for the grandparents, a list of the top ten most popular kids toys for ages 5-7, sports themed gifts, or the latest electronics available for the holiday season, and then be handed dozens of different online retailers who might possibly have what you are looking for.� Many sites, such as Amazon, or Ebay, for new or used gifts, can give you products choices for each of those categories.� One stop shopping! �No matter how many items end up in your shopping basket, each one can be sent to the place it needs to be, independently of the other items and their destinations.� They also offer free shipping on many of the items if you spend a certain dollar amount with them.�

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Shopping, whether it is for a housewarming gift, an anniversary, or a holiday gift is very stressful, but if you are prepared and have a plan, your holiday Christmas gift giving for this year could be fun.

Your teenager may go through times where their self-esteem goes up and down; especially if they’re being teased by their peers.� You may want to find ways of raising your teen’s self-esteem to a higher level to help them cope with their issues.� Here are some ways you can do just that:

Take the Time To Listen- You may not always be able to stop what youÂ’re doing when your teen wants to talk. DonÂ’t brush them away and say that you donÂ’t have time. This shows them you donÂ’t care even when you actually do. Tell them that you need a minute or two to finish up what youÂ’re doing and then you will sit down and talk with them.

Listen- Your teen needs to know that youÂ’re actually listening to what theyÂ’re saying. Let them tell you whatÂ’s on their mind. Ask questions related to what theyÂ’re saying. For example, if theyÂ’re telling you about someone at school, you can ask if that person is in their class or not. This shows them that what they have to say is valuable; no matter what it is. On the same token, donÂ’t interrupt them by saying what theyÂ’re talking about is wrong. Let them talk through their issue first and then explain what might have been wrong about it.

More Praise- Offer more praise for the good things they do and less focus on the things they do wrong. You still want to show them what their mistakes are, but donÂ’t dwell solely on that. Tell them what they could have done right and praise them for anything they may have done correctly in that situation. This helps them see that they arenÂ’t as bad as they might think they are.

Punish Behaviors and Not The Teen- There will be times where you will have to dole out some form of punishment for your teen. ItÂ’s important that you punish the behavior, but never tell your teen how stupid they are for doing it or that they canÂ’t do anything right. You would only be adding to their self-esteem problem. They need to know the behavior was unacceptable, but talk to them about how they could have handled it instead, so they donÂ’t come out of it feeling like theyÂ’re not worth anything.

Share some of their interests- You donÂ’t need to like everything they do. Find some things that they like and learn about them. For example, if your teen likes to play golf; you can offer to take them sometime and play along with. They can even teach you how to play, so they can feel like theyÂ’re really good at something.

Be Understanding- DonÂ’t laugh or brush off your teenÂ’s fears or insecurities. Always be understanding of that fear and help them work through whatever it is. Confess to some fears you might have had when you were their age. This shows them that theyÂ’re not alone and theyÂ’re not dumb for what theyÂ’re feeling.

Encourage- You will want to encourage your teen to do whatever it is they want to do. If their career choice is to be an engineer, then encourage them to find out what they need to learn to become one and encourage them to do whatever they need to accomplish that goal. If they choose to become a professional sports player and not go to college; you should still encourage them to continue playing that sport, but they could do it while in college. Let them know that they can get a feel for how it could work if they get on a professional team later on.

These things give them the confidence they need to try new things and to look forward to the future.� To get super-sized self-esteem for your teen, you can start offering it yourself. This will help them when they have issues outside of the home that could cause a poor self-confidence.