Archive for December, 2009
Babies: Daylight exposure
Thursday, December 31st, 2009Incredible Christmas Recipes Are At Your Fingertips
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Your holiday menu is one of the most important parts to the success of your Christmas day.??? With so many friends and families around to spend the day with you, you are going to need a lot of really great food to offer to them.??? Start early, and have a good plan, and you will be able to really enjoy what is truly the most wonderful time of the year.??? Selecting the perfect Christmas recipe for your dishes will be key.
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You are going to need some really great recipes for your Christmas dinner.??? There are hundreds of web sites that are offering tried and true recipes for any occasion.??? Christmas recipes are particularly abundant, so all you need to do is spend a little time and search for recipes for your main dish, side dishes, breads, desserts, and even a fun drink recipe.??? Some of the favorite site to visit for Christmas??? recipes are allrecipes.com, foodnetwork.com ,recipezaar.com, and??? nigella.com just to name a few of the hundreds of sites dedicated to sharing great recipes for your Christmas dinner.???
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There are hundreds of recipes offered for your traditional Christmas ham.??? Whether you choose an orange baked ham, apricot baked ham, or a baked ham with a maple glaze, following a recipe will help in the success of it.??? What kind of side dishes would be best to accompany your Christmas ham???? One tried and true favorite is Candied Sweet Potatoes.???
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You will need 2 large sweet potatoes, ??? cup butter, ?? cup packed brown sugar, ??? cup orange juice.??? Cut the sweet potatoes into 2 inch pieces and place in a large sauce pan to boil until they are tender.??? You can also bake the sweet potatoes at 350 degrees until tender if your stove top is full.??? In a fry pan, melt the butter and the brown sugar together until they are bubbly.??? Add the orange juice and stir just until it is smooth.??? Add the cooked sweet potatoes and cook slowly, stirring and turning the potatoes occasionally until the sweet potatoes are caramelized.??? This will take approximately 20 minutes.??? If the syrup in the fry pan is too thin, add a bit more brown sugar. There are approximately 5 servings. Enjoy!???
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Another favorite Christmas recipe from allrecipes.com for side dishes is scalloped corn.??? For this dish you will need 1 (15 ounce) can of creamed corn, 1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn, 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream, 2 eggs, ?? cup butter, 2 Tablespoons sugar, 1 (8.5ounce) package corn muffin mix.??? Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.??? Lightly grease, or use cooking spray a 9 X 13 inch baking dish.??? In a large bowl, mix together the corn, sour cream, eggs, melted butter
, and the sugar.??? Add the muffin mix and mix well.??? Pour into the prepared baking dish.??? Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a knife inserted into the middle of the pan comes out clean.??? There are approximately 12 servings.??? Enjoy!
Babies: The Benefits of Baby Massage
Wednesday, December 30th, 2009Many cultures have used massage as part of baby care for centuries, and research shows it can have many benefits. Not only does massage enable you to learn about and respond to your baby’s body language. But it is also a wonderful way to make your baby feel safe and secure by showing that he or she is loved and cared for. There are no hard and fast rules for baby massage, other than to ensure you are doing it safely. Your baby and you will discover together what works best for you both.
Please bear in mind that massage is something you do with your infant, not to your infant.??? It is strongly suggested you seek guidance and education on massage techniques from a qualified baby massage therapist, midwife, or other healthcare professional to ensure you are doing it safely. A ten minute massage, two or three times a week assists in strengthening the parent-infant relationship, babies love it and it can assist in alleviating baby ailments too.
In today??s society, parents have heavy workloads and both their jobs and at home which can directly affect quality time spent with children.??? Infant massage, an age old tradition, is simple, free, can be administered almost anywhere and has a host of emotional and physical benefits for both parents and baby. A child with a strong sense of attachment is more likely to grow up confident, assured and happy.
The parent-infant attachment is rooted in the very early months of life, so by its very definition infant massage has a deep effect on the emotional well-being of the infant and can be used to attain a sense of security for the growing child. The emotional benefits of infant massage, such as quality, one-to-one loving touch, can also be experienced by fathers.
Hurricane Preparedness the Baja Hurricane Season.
Wednesday, December 30th, 2009Past History has demonstrated time and time again that a lack of awareness and preparedness are common occurrences among all major hurricane disasters.
Preparing for hurricane; you can be less vulnerability by knowing what actions you should take for you and your family’s personal safety, the protection of your home and cherished belongings; in order to reduce the effects of a storm disaster.
Hurricane Preparedness is about becoming informed about these hazards and gaining knowledge and developing a hurricane preparedness list which can be used to take ACTION.
The information we will share with you her can be used to save lives at work, home, while on the road, or on the water this Baja hurricane season.
These hazards of a come in many forms:
Storm Surge:
Storm surge is simply water that is pushed toward the shore by the force of the winds swirling around the storm.
This advancing surge combines with the normal tides to create the hurricane storm tide, which can increase the mean water level 15 feet or more. In addition, wind driven waves are superimposed on the storm tide.
This rise in water level can cause severe flooding in coastal areas, particularly when the storm tide coincides with the normal high tides.
Marty was the deadliest tropical cyclone of the 2003 Pacific & Baja hurricane season.
Forming on September 18, it became the 13th tropical storm and fourth hurricane of the year.
The storm moved generally northwestward and steadily intensified despite only a marginally favorable environment for development, and became a Category 2 hurricane before making two landfalls on the Baja California peninsula and mainland Mexico.
Marty was responsible for significant flooding and storm surges that caused $50.5 million (2003 USD) in damage, mostly on the peninsula of Baja California, and resulted in the deaths of 12 people.
Marty affected many of the same areas that had been affected by Hurricane Ignacio a month earlier. The level of surge in a particular area is also determined by the slope of the continental shelf.
A shallow slope off the coast will allow a greater surge to inundate coastal communities. Communities with a steeper continental shelf will not see as much surge inundation, although large breaking waves can still present major problems.
Storm tides, waves, and currents in confined harbors severely damage ships, marinas, and pleasure boats.
High Winds:
The strength of a land falling hurricane is expressed in terms of categories that relate wind speeds and potential damage.
According to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SaffirSimpson_Hurricane_Scale), a Category 1 hurricane has lighter winds compared to storms in higher categories.
A Category 4 hurricane would have winds between 131 and 155 mph and, on the average, would usually be expected to cause 100 times the damage of the Category 1 storm.
Depending on circumstances, less intense storms may still be strong enough to produce damage, particularly in areas that have not prepared in advance.
Tropical storm force winds are in fact strong enough to be hazardous to those who get caught in them.
Hurricane force winds can with no trouble destroy weakly constructed buildings and mobile homes. Signs, roofing material, and other debris such as small items left outside become flying missiles in hurricanes.
Extensive damage to trees, towers, water and underground utility lines, and fallen poles cause considerable disruption.
High rise buildings are also amongst the vulnerable to hurricane force winds, predominantly at the higher levels since wind speed tends to increase with height.
Recent research suggests you should stay below the tenth floor, but still above any floors at risk for flooding.
It is not uncommon for high rise buildings to suffer a great deal of damage due to windows being blown out.
As a result, the areas around these buildings can be very dangerous. The right side of the hurricane, known as the eyewall tends to maintain the strongest winds.
Wind speed usually decreases significantly within 12 hours after landfall. Nonetheless, winds can stay above hurricane strength well inland.
Hurricane John, for example, hit the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula in September, 2006.
John was a Category 3 Hurricane with 115 mph winds at 5am. This translates into some pretty serious damage for the coast. (Courtesy of Storm Tracker Meteorologist Erin Jordan)
Tornadoes:
Hurricanes can also produce tornadoes that add to the storm’s destructive power. Tornadoes are most likely to occur in the right front quadrant of the hurricane.
However, they are also often found elsewhere embedded in the rainbands, well away from the center of the hurricane. Some hurricanes seem to produce no tornadoes, while others develop multiple ones.
Studies have shown that more than half of the land falling hurricanes produce at least one tornado. We have no way at present to predict exactly which storms will spawn tornadoes or where they will touch down.
The new Doppler radar systems have greatly improved the forecaster’s warning capability, but the technology usually provides lead times from only a few minutes up to about 30 minutes. Consequently, preparedness is critical.
Facts about Hurricanes & Tornados
o When associated with hurricanes, tornadoes are not usually accompanied by hail or a lot of lightning, clues that citizens in other parts of the country watch for.
o Tornado production can occur for days after landfall when the tropical cyclone remnants maintain an identifiable low pressure circulation.
o They can also develop at any time of the day or night during landfall. However, by 12 hours after landfall, tornadoes tend to occur mainly during daytime hours.
Flooding:
When it comes to hurricanes, wind speeds do not tell the whole story. Hurricanes produce storm surges, tornadoes, and often the most deadly of all; inland flooding.
While storm surge is always a potential threat, more people have died from inland flooding from 1970 up to 2000.
Intense rainfall is not directly related to the wind speed of tropical cyclones. In fact, some of the greatest rainfall amounts occur from weaker storms that drift slowly or stall over an area. Inland flooding can be a major threat to communities hundreds of miles from the coast as intense rain falls from these huge tropical air masses.
1997 Nora was the fourteenth named tropical cyclone and seventh hurricane of the Pacific hurricane season.
The September storm formed off the Pacific coast of Mexico, and aided by waters warmed by El Ni???o, eventually peaked at Category 4 intensity on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saffir-Simpson_Hurricane_Scale)
Nora intensified and weakened quickly before taking an unusual path, which lead it to make landfall twice as a hurricane in Baja California. After landfall, its remnants affected the Southwestern United States with tropical storm-force winds, torrential rain and flooding.
Nora is blamed for two direct casualties in Mexico, (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexico) as well as substantial beach erosion on the Mexican coast, flash flooding in Baja California, and record precipitation in Arizona.
Nora persisted far inland; it was only the third known tropical cyclone to reach Arizona while tropical. (Courtesy of Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
Therefore it is crucially important for your family to have a plan that includes all of these hazards.
Carefully examine the safety actions recommended with each type of hurricane hazard and prepare your family disaster plan accordingly.
But do remember this is only meant as a guide. The first and most important thing anyone should do when facing a hurricane threat is to use common sense.
The following questions should be answered before a hurricane threatens:
o What are the Hurricane Hazards? o What does it mean to you?
o What actions should you take to be prepared?
Download the hurricane preparedness list (2008 version) High Resolution Poster (1.8MB PDF) at www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/pdf/2003_HAW_poster.pdf
Frequently visit the NOAA Coastal Services Center Historical Hurricane Tracks website at www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/pdf/AT_Track_chart.pdf to learn about historical tropical cyclones taking place in different areas located throughout the Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico.
The website provides information and links to various Internet resources focusing on tropical cyclones.
The interactive mapping application allows you to search the National Hurricane Center historical tropical cyclone database and graphically display storms affecting your area since 1851.
Hurricane preparedness is essential to protect your family and personal belongings, learn the facts, and be prepared this Baja hurricane season.
Aniline Leather Sofa – Why Choose One
Tuesday, December 29th, 2009Aniline leather sofas are some of the highest quality sofas you can purchase. The aniline dying process tints the leather used to make the leather sofa all the way through, so even if you get a scratch, the leather underneath the top layer is still the same color.
Because the aniline leather does not cover up any imperfections in the original leather, it must be of very high quality without imperfections to be used to make a leather sofa.
Aniline leather sofas are made from full grain leather and soaking it in a drum to dye the leather. The leather is then used to create the aniline sofa without any other treatments to alter the look of the leather.
This makes it so the leather used for the sofa can breath. Over time and with proper care an aniline leather sofa will develop a patina. Any stains will be absorbed into the leather over a short time and will not be noticeable.
Aniline leather sofas are some of the strongest leather sofas available since they are made with full grain leather rather than the lesser quality split leather that is sometimes used to make inexpensive leather furniture.
However, they do need to be properly cared for. As this is natural leather, you do not want to use any liquids on the leather. If you should spill something, just blot with a clean dry cloth to remove as much as possible of the spill and then leave it alone to be absorbed into the leather.
You want to keep your aniline leather sofa out of the sun and away from direct heat in order to protect the leather from drying out or fading. You do not want to use anything on your full grain sofa that contains oil, wax, or silicone as this will damage it.
Aniline sofas are quite expensive usually due to the high quality of leather used to produce these sofas. Even at a discounted price they may be more expensive than other lesser quality leather sofas. However, you are paying for quality, and you get what you pay for.
Due the the cost of aniline leather sofas and the need to try to prevent liquid spills as much as possible with these sofas, it might be best for those who have small children to stick with other types of sofas that are more child friendly. Source: Domleathersofa dot com
How Parents Can Discipline Children and Promote Learning Without Stress & Punishment or Rewards
Tuesday, December 29th, 2009Traditional child disciplining approaches are no longer successful for far too many young people. For example, a parent related the following to me after a discussion of how society and youth have changed in recent generations:
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The other day, my teenage daughter was eating in a rather slovenly manner, and I lightly tapped her on the wrist saying, “Don’t eat that way.”
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My daughter replied, “Don’t abuse me.”
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The mother had grown up in the 1960s and volunteered the point that her generation tested authority but most were really afraid to step out of bounds. She related that her daughter was a good child and added, “But the kids today not only disrespect authority, they have no fear of it.”
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And, because of rights for young children??which we should have??it’s hard to instill that fear without others claiming abuse.
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So, how can we discipline our children, so we as parents can do our jobs and teach our children who refuse to learn?
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In many cases we resort to punishment as a strategy for motivation. This negative, coercive discipline and punishment approach is based on the belief that it is necessary to cause suffering to teach. It’s like you need to hurt in order to instruct.
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For example, when kids misbehave, most parents send them to their room. However, coercion, as in punishment, is not a lasting change agent. Once the punishment is over, the child feels free and clear to do exactly what they want again.
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The fact of the matter, however, is that people learn better when they feel better, not when they feel worse.
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Remember, if punishment were effective in reducing inappropriate behavior, then there would be NO discipline problems
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The irony of punishment is that the more you use it to control your children’s behavior, the less real influence you have over them. This is because coercion breeds resentment. In addition, if your children behave because they are forced to behave, then you as a parent did not really succeed. Your children should behave because they want to??not because they have to in order to avoid punishment.
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Internal motivation??where people want to change??is more lasting and effective than motivation by punishment. The way to influence people is through positive, non-coercive interaction.
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Here’s how…
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5 Things GREAT Parents Know, Understand, and Do to Motivate Children to Learn Without Using Punishments or Rewards.
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1. Great parents understand the importance of building a close relationship with their children. Many children put forth little effort if they have negative feelings about their parents. Superior parents establish good, close relationships AND have high expectations for their children
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2. Great parents communicate and discipline in positive ways. They let their children know what they want them to do, rather than by telling students what NOT to do.
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3. Great parents inspire rather than coerce. They aim at promoting responsibility rather than obedience. They know that OBEDIENCE DOES NOT CREATE DESIRE.
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4. Great parents identify the reason that a lesson is being taught and then share it with their children. These parents inspire their children through curiosity, challenge, and relevancy.
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5. Great parents have an open mindset. They REFLECT so that if something needs improvement they look to themselves to change BEFORE they expect their children to change.
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Unfortunately, parents today still have a 20th century mindset that focuses on EXTERNAL APPROACHES to increase motivation. We as parents are overlooking the simple universal truth that people develop positive self-talk and self-esteem through the successes of THEIR OWN EFFORTS.
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So, have high expectations for your children, motivate them to succeed and follow my tips above and you’ll be able to “Discipline without Stress, Punishments or Rewards.”???
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Cool, Quick and Easy Halloween Costume Ideas For Kids
Monday, December 28th, 2009This year get a head start on Halloween by thinking of ideas for Halloween costumes for your kids. Halloween costumes for kids are available just about everywhere. Grocery stores even sell them! You can choose a manufactured costume or you can create your own Halloween costume if you’re on a budget.
Costumes from famous people are not only popular, they are fairly easy to put together. The best way to dress your kids in a famous person costume is to go with the outfit the famous person is most noted for. For instance you can dress up as Waldo from the where’s Waldo books by putting on a striped red/white shirt with blue pants and a red and white stocking cap.
Superman has been a favorite Halloween costume with kids for over 30 years. There are many commercial versions of superman costumes as well as homemade versions.??? Most include tights, a bodysuit in red and blue and a red cape. Many little boys use a towel around their necks when pretending to be Superman during the year so having a Superman costume can be fun after Halloween is over too.
Clowns bring smiles to everyone??s faces. Clown costumes can be simple to quite elaborate.??? Kids can use wigs or they can spray colored hair spray to change their hair color. Make-up or a big red nose can help with the look. There are many different types of make-up or if you prefer, you can use a mask. The main thing to remember with a clown costume is to have fun, keep it light and happy. Clowns are supposed to make people laugh and bring happiness to others. But since it is Halloween, this is one occasion where it might be appropriate as well to create a scary clown costume if your child is old enough to handle this type of costume.
Dragon costumes are another fun idea. A body suit that has scales/spikes along the center of the back works well for a dragon costume. Many commercial costumes are available for kids who want to dress up as dragons.
Knights who slay dragons can go trick-or-treating with your dragon. Dressing your children with the theme of dragons and knights is fun and can help to encourage a playful theme between your children for Halloween. With movies like Eragon becoming so popular, these costumes are going to increase in popularity.
Sponge Bob is a fun character that kids can dress up as for Halloween. A pair of brown shorts, black belt, and a yellow shirt with circles to make it look like sponge holes, and a silly look on their face will complete your Sponge Bob costume. If you want a more realistic Sponge Bob costume, you can find them for relatively inexpensive commercially as well.
Cookies are not only fun treats; you can dress your child up as a chocolate chip cookie! A large circle cut out of flannel or fleece sewn together so that your head, arms, and body can fit through with the cookie centering around your body makes a cute and original costume idea. Try varying this idea for your next costume contest.
With all the possibilities available there should be quite a varied range of costumes at your next costume party.
Emergency Supplies – Storage Ideas
Monday, December 28th, 2009You’ve put a good deal of time and effort into planning your emergency supplies, tools, evacuation and disaster relief plans. All of that planning will do you no good if you are not organized. If your house’s heating system goes out on the coldest night of the year and you can’t find your solar blankets and sleeping bags, then all that pre-planning is wasted. It is absolutely imperative that you mark all of your emergency supplies and make sure they are portable and ready to go for anyone in your household who needs to use them.
The following tips for emergency supplies storage ideas should help you get it all under control. First let’s consider your trauma kits and first aid kits. Hopefully when you purchased them they came with a case or backpack style container to hold all of the various bandages and creams and splints and other supplies. However, if you purchased your medical supplies separately, it is important that you purchase a case to hold them all in one central, easy to find location.
Backpacks and plastic art supply cases are perfect for holding all of your first aid needs. Remember to label your supplies so there is no confusion when they are needed. You may want to consider a heavy duty rubber 55 gallon tote on wheels as the ideal emergency supplies storage ideas. Use backpacks and duffle style roll bags to parcel out supplies by category. Another good idea is use a five gallon bucket with a lid.
First aid supplies, sleeping linens, heat generating equipment and emergency shelter rations should all be separate and labeled and marked. You want to be able to open the lid to a bucket or drum and grab the kit you need for the specific emergency at hand. Purchase the right storage system and this will be easily accomplished. It is frustrating when you need something and cannot find it.
Now let’s drop an emergency like a natural disaster on you and you’re hunting for flashlights in the dark. This is not an ideal scenario, especially when you’ve spent so much time and effort planning out your emergency supplies. Take a little bit more time for planning your emergency supplies storage ideas and when it comes time to use those supplies, they’ll be easy to find, readily available and you will breathe a huge sigh of relief. Being prepared, and ready for all types of emergencies, is always the best situation.
A Journey Through Infant Development: The Ninth Month
Sunday, December 27th, 2009Whole-House Water Treatment Systems – As Important As Water Itself
Sunday, December 27th, 2009If optimal health is a goal you aspire to, then a home water treatment system is a must have in your household.
America’s water supply is suspect to say the least. Many studies have shown that vast array of pharmaceuticals and other chemical contaminants are present in our treated water supply.
As a matter of fact, the well respected Ralph Nader Research Institute estimates that there are around 21,000 different contaminants found in the U.S water supply.
Many experts have blamed the increased incidences of cancer and learning disorders on the contaminants found in our water supply.
Whole-house water treatment systems are a great way to ensure that your household water quality is top notch and that you have a reduced exposure to these health risks.
Here are some of the benefits of using such a system:
1. A home water treatment system that is independently tested and proven to remove the highest amounts of contaminants in your tap water will give you the cleanest water possible. The type of water that is better than “bottled water quality” and that you can safely drink and shower with, without any worries.
Bear in mind that some whole-house water treatment systems remove the vital minerals contained in water that our bodies need. Make sure you find out from the retailer if the home water treatment system you intend on buying doesn’t do this.
2. The EPA says that American homes have elevated levels of chloroform due to the vaporization of the chlorine from their taps, dishwashers, washing machines and showers. This is suspected to have caused various respiratory problems within households.
Having a whole-house water treatment will reduce the amount of chlorine within the water and consequently improve overall air quality.
3. Not only does a home water treatment system improve the healthfulness of water within your home but it also is a huge cost saver.
When filtered water is used in the dishwasher and washing machine, less detergent is needed and the items are better cleaned.
Washing with unfiltered water leaves a soapy residue on dishes but this is not the case when using filtered water. Also, since filtered water is dechlorinated, the colors of your clothes last longer after being washed in the washing machine.
Consider also the amount of money that you’ll save on bottled water over time. Whole-house water systems are reasonably priced and not expensive to install. When you compare its cost to the amount of money you have spent on bottled water, its well worth getting one.
It can’t be stressed enough tat before you purchase a home water treatment system, you should ask for the the documentary evidence supporting it’s performance claims. This will help you choose the one that best suits your needs.
Whole-house water treatment systems are no longer some fad or status symbol whose time has passed. It is really an appliance that you should go out a buy right now if you don’t already have one.