Family Coaches on Marriage

Thanks to Joyce Quam for this excellent link, endorsed by Focus on the Family

 

Dr. Gary and Barb Rosberg - http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/americas-family-coaches/

Listen to recent broadcasts at this link!  Very practical and useful counsel on marriage!

Lots of Fun Activities for You and Your Young Children: Toddle Time

by Debbie Klinect - http://alongthejourney.sytes.net - Used by permission - From Along the Journey Newsletter by Debbie Klinect & Tinea Bradley

 

Our little ones are so full of energy.  They are in constant motion and I wish I could bottle that and sell it!  Containing their energy and having things for them to do can sometimes be a problem.  The old things don’t work any more or you are just tired of doing the same things over and over again.  If you are staying in town this summer, here is a list of things for you to try with your little person.  Go to http://www.quakeroatmeal.com/toddler/games/searchresults.cfm?Section=Games  and see what things are appropriate for your child’s age group. 

 

Another web site to consider is http://www.hbwm.com/MomsAssistant/play121.htm.

 

If you are going out-of-town and need some ideas to keep you little one busy, try this web site for some suggestions: http://www.pctots.com/projects-activities.htm.

 

Whatever you decide to do, have fun with that little one.  Make sure that the things that you choose to do are appropriate for your child’s age and skill level.  Also make sure that the project doesn’t require you to have anything that can be harmful to your little one.

Free Helpful Websites

Free Birthday Treats ~ To help celebrate birthdays, find all the places in your state that offer free or discounted treats!
http://www.freebirthdaytreats.com/

Find How ~ This is a do-it-yourself website with clear instructions for many different projects.  www.findhow.com

Honesty ~ http://www.honesty.com/ can help if you are an e-Bay shopper.  By entering the item you are searching for, Honesty will do the work of hunting down comparative values to help you determine if you have a good deal or not.

Beat My Price ~ Insert the name of the item you want to purchase, the website where that item was listed, as well as the price on that site.  http://www.beatmyprice.com/ will give the sites with the best price for that item, listed in order from the least expensive to the most expensive.

Famundo ~ http://www.famundo.com/ allows you to combine all of your family schedules into one spreadsheet.  You can store banking info, medical records, etc. securely on your pages protected by your password.  It can also be used for messages and reminders for family members, storing and organizing all of your favorite digital photos and keeping track of birthdays and addresses.  The free option is all you really need, although they do offer a paid upgrade.

Ask the Computer Lady ~ http://www.asktcl.com/  You may find technical help for your computer at this site.  She also sends a newsletter.

Home Maintenance ~  This link http://www.home-wizard.com/ is a gold mine of a site for home maintenance!  There is even a free reminder service available here.  Hope it's helpful to you! ~ Miranda Ching in Hawaii 

Antivirus Protection ~ Avast 4.8 Home Editon is one of the best highly rated computer antivirus programs, does not slow down your computer, and it's completely free.  www.avast.com

Tips and Tidbits

Bird Photography Worth Seeing ~ www.markhancoxbirdphotography.co.uk   This is amazing!

Bringing Up Girls ~ A brand new book (April, 2010)  by Dr. James Dobson is available to purchase, beginning this week!  (www.focusonthefamily.com) He said it took much longer to write this book than his book on boys, since girls are so much more complicated.  Bringing Up Boys was published over seven years ago, just in time for our first grandson, so there is good help for all parents and grandparents of boys or girls.  Dr. Dobson had more than 3,000 pages of research for his book on girls!  Wow!  Did you know we were such complicated creatures?  I suppose our husbands know that by now!
Great Resource for Parents and Teachers ~ Dancing in the Dessert is a new release by Mary Rice Hopkins -- a CD for the entire family!  Children will learn about Moses and the Israelites through songs such as:  "Put 'em in a Basket," "Plagues," "Grumble," and "Ten Commandments."  Adults will be encouraged to hold steady in their own desert journeys by listening to:  "God Made A Way Through," "God Can Do," "Up This Mountain," and "What Seems Impossible.”  Order by phone (818-790-5805) today!  You may also want to receive Mary's monthly newsletter which contains a complete Bible lesson with story, activities, and projects which can be used either at home or at church.  Visit www.MaryRiceHopkins.com.

Tips for Good Skin and a Lovely Complexion ~ Protect your skin from the sun, stay away from sweets, and never smoke.  Wash your face each morning and night.  Use a good moisturizer.  Drink plenty of pure water and eats lots of fruits and vegetables.  These tips will go a long way to having good skin.

Teach Yourself How to Sew a Felt Jewelry Bag ~ http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/12951/teach-yourself-to-sew-make-a-felt-jewelry-bag   There is no edge finishing to this easy project, since felt doesn't unravel.

Abstract Flowers Inspired By Georgia O'Keefe ~ A fun way to draw flowers.  Beautiful and colorful too!

Great Gardening Site ~ http://www.gardenguides.com has all kinds of good information, including how to deal with unwanted critters in your lawn and garden.  For garden crafts and fun things to do with your children such as butterfly and bird watching, and more, go to http://www.gardenguides.com/garden-crafts-activities/

Why Doesn't My Hydrangea Bloom? ~ http://www.creativehomemaking.com/gardening/hydrangea-bloom.shtml

How Girls' and Boys' Brains Are Different ~ http://www.babycenter.com/0_brain-development-is-the-difference-between-boys-and-girls-a_10310673.bc?scid=preschooler_20100323:3&pe=2UfZZbo

Need a reason to skip spring cleaning? ~ Many substances we come across every day might actually increase a person's risk of developing breast cancer. The main culprits seem to be bleach, flame retardants and some plastics.  www.thebreastcancersite.com 

Which Plastics are Safe and Which Are Not? ~ www.thebreastcancersite.com  
Women who are concerned about their risk of breast cancer could choose to avoid plastics which are numbered 3, 6 or 7. Plastics that are reported to be safe include those with a 1,2,4 or 5 stamped on the bottom.  Make a note of this!

Dangers of the Twilight Series ~ What's all the fuss over Edward and Bella?  Listen to these very enlightening radio broadcasts: Helping Parents Navigate the Vampire Phenomenon (Part 1 of 2)   http://www.listen.family.org/daily/A000002527.cfm

http://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/protecting_your_family/book_reports/t/twilight.aspx

More on The Twilight Saga ~ Escaping the Vampire Within.  Addressing The Twilight Saga, this brand new book by Kimberly Sweet Powers, offers young women a real immortal hero through Christ.  Kimberly, a graduate of Cedarville University, is the executive director of Walk the Talk Ministries, a national nonprofit youth ministry.

How to Receive Double Gas Points at Kroger ~ Gift cards purchased at Kroger count toward double gas points (sometimes four times the amount spent), so if you know you will be spending money at any of these stores or restaurants, purchase a gift card the day before.  It takes about 24 hours after your purchase to activate your gift cards. 
        The following gift cards are available to buy at Kroger: J.C. Penney, Kohl's, Target, Macy's, Joann's, Sears, Belk, Home Depot, K-Mart, Best Buy, Office Max, T. J. Max, Bath and Body, Michael's, Old Navy, Gap, Baby Gap, e-Bay, Foot Locker, Barnes and Nobel, Toys R Us, Babies R Us, Marshalls, Disney, Cabellas, Pottery Barn, Land's End, Overstocked.com, Shell Gas, and others.  Restaurants include Cracker Barrell, Bob Evans, Charley's, and Red Robin.
        Kroger's Gas policy rules allow up to a 35 gallon purchase in one transaction, with a possible savings of $1 discount per gallon of gas, so the savings is substantial.

Disney Park Discounts ~ Mary Hunt at www.cheapskates.com suggests saving money by heading over to www.MouseSavers.com.  She says it is a wonderful website that is without a doubt the best source for discounts at all of the Disney Parks as well as the others in the Orlando area, including Universal Orlando.  At www.MouseSavers.com, type in the park you are interested in visiting.

Make Your Own Word Search Game ~ Miranda Ching in Hawaii says, This is the neatest "gadget."  You can make word puzzles with this just by typing in your title and list of words.  It will even make an answer key for you!  I just made a valentine puzzle, but you could put any word list you want here.  Through this page, you're limited to "Heart" graphics, but there are probably other pages at this site set up for other holidays with appropriate graphics.  What a time saver if you need a "custom" word search game!  Have fun!  http://www.awesomeclipartforkids.com/worksheets/valentinewordsearch1.cfm

Make Your Own Personal Coloring Pages from Photographs you have taken!  Our daughter-in-law, Rachael, sent us a coloring page of Paw Paw and Grammie with our three precious grandchildren!  Rachael colored the picture herself and almost two year old Daniel added his own creative touches!  It was sent with my birthday card, along with a DVD of lots of fun videos of Daniel, which we both really loved!  I proudly hung the colored picture on our refrigerator!  Rachael used www.crayola.com/colorme for this personalized piece of art!

Lies Women Believe ~ Nancy Lee DeMoss wrote a book by this title, as well as another edition for young women - Lies Young Women Believe.  You will find a blog, videos and biblical help, especially for young women. http://www.liesyoungwomenbelieve.com/


Help for My Life is a ministry of Radio Bible Class.  You will find biblical help for any struggle in your life.  www.helpformylife.org

Christian Courses is a service of Radio Bible Class - www.christian courses.com  Take courses free or as certificate courses.

Make Your Own Personal Alphabetical Website List ~ Arrange in Alphabetical order according to topics, and keep in your Inbox to click when needed.

Never Ever Give Out Bank Numbers, Social Security Numbers, or Other Personal Information Over the Phone! ~ Not even if you get a call from someone saying they are with your bank, your insurance company or anyone else.  This happened to my husband today.  He asked that a certified letter be sent asking him for that information.  Never, never give out that info over the phone!  People are desperate to get their hands on your money!  Don't fall for that trick, and if you have Caller ID, report them.