Couple Time Make It A Priority

You’ve seen them in restaurants – those older couples who eat slowly and quietly without looking or speaking to each other. In your newlywed years, you and your husband gaze at each other knowingly, and promise never to become like that yourselves.

Then …

You have kids. The two of you barely have time to speak to each other, and when you do, you talk about – what else? – the kids!

The only thing standing between you and the couple in the restaurant is time. Right now is the perfect moment to make a decision to place the relationship between you and your husband at the top of the priority list.

How do you do this? The first step is to firmly make that decision that being a couple is the focus of your marriage. This is a lot easier said than done, as children, no matter what their ages, are time-consuming and all-encompassing little creatures.

Don’t be deterred. Once you’ve made the decision, you must back it up with action. Fortunately, the action doesn’t have to be time-consuming or complex. It’s as simple as remembering how it was to be a couple without kids.

Remember things like cooking your husband’s favorite meal. Cook it regularly, and if the kids don’t like it, make them something else. Or even better, feed the children early, and have a romantic dinner for two later (and don’t forget to light those candles!). Not only will your husband appreciate your thoughtfulness, the time will give you two a chance to talk and reestablish your connection.

If your budget allows for it, hire a babysitter on a regular basis and go out. Getting away from the home, children and responsibilities makes it possible for you and your husband to relax and enjoy each other’s company without fear of interruptions or feeling the pressure of your obligations. You can have dinner (or lunch), see a movie or just go for coffee. What you do and the time of day you do it isn’t as important as actually making the time to do something just for the two of you.

Sharing daily household chores is another good way to keep the couple as the center of the family. Your husband can fill dishwasher while you clean the kitchen and put away the food. Or he can clean the kitchen while you make the next day’s lunches. This gives you time to chat, catch up with each other, and stay in touch with what’s on your partner’s mind.

Even cleaning out the garage or attic together is a good way to both stay connected and share the overall workload so that neither of you feel overburdened and underappreciated. Those negative feelings work against any relationship, so sharing chores ensures that this won’t happen to you. Together activities will reinforce your bond as a couple.

What about having that first cup coffee together before the children get up? If you’re feeling adventurous, take your morning shower together! Most often couple time comes at the end of the day when you’re both too tired to fully appreciate it – just about the time you’d rather fall into the deepest sleep possible. Making time for each other at the start of the day, however, means you’re giving each other a portion of what is likely to be the best part of your day. And couple time should always be the best part of your and your partner’s day.

Article Source: http://www.a-1articles.com

Karen Fusco is co-founder of www.SilkBow.com which supports Busy Moms with free gift ideas and helpful tips to meet the challenges of motherhood. SilkBow is the perfect place for the perfect gift. Karen can be reached directly at: karen@SilkBow.com

Host a Unique Baby Shower - Four Fun and Fabulous Ideas to Honor Mom-to-Be

Baby showers can unfortunately be so formulaic, we’ve all been to one or even thrown one that has similar decorations, plays similar games (usually accompanied by many groans), and gives all the guests similar personalized baby shower favors that were given at the last one we all attended. So why not get away from the “usual” and try something different that everyone will remember – especially the mom-to-be!

Party décor and baby shower favors don’t necessarily have to be baby themed. Although we tend to immediately think of pink or blue, tiny little feet, storks or cradles, this isn’t the only way to represent the little one at the shower. Choose one of these four creative ideas or use them for inspiration:

Baby, It’s YOU! – Tribute the mom-to-be – when she was a baby! This is an especially great shower if lots of family will be present who can help you carry this off. It’s a delightful way to connect the dots of the generations and remember back. Use her baby picture on invitations and choose a personalized baby shower favor that fits her character. To customize it, use the same or a different picture and add a “did you know” quote about something endearing she did as a baby such as “did you know one of Amy’s first phrases was “who bought this?” or “…her favorite book was The Gingerbread Man”. You can use her favorite colors to decorate and serve her favorite foods, if they’re available blow up pictures of when she was little for centerpieces or to hang and if her mom has saved them, pull out the treasure box of her childhood artwork and toys and have them displayed around. During the shower, have family members or lifelong friends tell stories about when she was little using phrases like “I hope your baby takes after you (or doesn’t!) because when you were little you ____” It should be a fun filled time and a pleasant trip down memory lane for everyone!

It Takes A Village -- Have a project focused baby shower - what could you do to help the mother-to-be that would be a boost? Has she been focusing so much on the baby coming, or maybe been having a tough pregnancy that she hasn’t had time to paint a room she’s been wanting to paint in her home, do spring cleaning, plant the vegetable or flower garden or maybe even decorate the baby’s room? Just like an old-fashioned barn raising, coming together is a powerful way of showing your support for the guest of honor as well as rewarding for all that participate. You may need to bring her into the planning on this one – but it is something that can be a real gift to her and a lot of fun for everyone at the same time. As hostess you’ll have to be very organized in advance with tasks thought through and supplies gathered to make things go most smoothly. Set up the schedule for the day realistically, make sure the guests know there will be an activity involved and to dress accordingly and then relax all together after the project is done and celebrate the group accomplishment and honor mom-to-be with a light meal or coffee and cake. Send guests home with a baby shower favor that is a treat for them to enjoy after their efforts – maybe a cocktail mix and special glass to enjoy it in or a yummy custom cookie treat personalized with the date and a nice phrase. It’s all about YOU! -- Does mom-to-be have a favorite hobby that would be appropriate for a shower theme? – For example, does she love gardening? Use a garden related theme complete with décor and personalized baby shower favors that represent her hobby. Include the little one by decorating with child size garden tools and gloves usually available at any garden center. They’ll add a cute flair and will be useful when Mom passes along her green thumb in the future and will bring back memories of this special day. A rose to be planted in honor of the baby is a lovely thing for everyone to chip in on and present as a reminder of the day. As hostess, or together with a couple of other guests, your baby gift could be other gardening type clothing for baby that could also be used to decorate such as tiny overalls and t-shirts or sun hats or items with garden theme prints on them. They don’t have to be infant size – up to a year is great and gives mom clothes to look forward to putting baby into after those initial growth spurts. Send everyone home with personalized baby shower favors of seeds to plant in their own garden to honor Mom and baby on the way. Several other hobbies or interests of the mom-to-be work great with a shower like this – think Beach or Travel – lots of possibilities for a fun event.

Take a Deep Breath…it’s Spa time! This is a wonderful time to be nurturing Mommy-to-be in anticipation of the down time she’s likely to lose soon! Create a spa day at home for mom and her guests. Be as luxurious as bringing in a couple of massage therapists for neck and shoulder, or hand and foot rubs for those who would like them or have a masseuse (or you reading from a book) give instruction to all the guests while demonstrating on mom-to-be. (This way you all can take the knowledge home with you too.) You can practice on one another while tranquil spa music plays and you sip on herbal tea, sparkling waters or a refreshing mint julep. Have a few friends or as hostess, put together a mommy gift that she can use in the future to keep the relaxation going – a nice bubble bath, a meditative CD (great also for putting baby to sleep) – calming bath products for baby (that will work on mom as well when she slips into the tub with the little one) or perhaps mommy and baby hooded terry robes to be cozy in. You can decorate with soothing colors, flowers and candles and serve light and healthy spa cuisine. Personalized baby shower favors could be spa candles customized with an inspirational phrase instead of just the traditional mom’s name and date of the shower. It can be a girl’s day for pampering all together.

Although every group of family and friends will be different, as hostess you will likely be able to choose what type of event will be most appropriate for your guest of honor’s special day. Of course the baby shower is meant to honor baby too – gifts should still be baby focused, (especially if the mom-to-be has registered for things she would like or needs) but as you may have noticed in each idea above, it’s also lovely to give a special little something for the guest of honor personally to recognize that she is doing a lot of work herself over these nine months! Just think “Mommy and Me” as you work out your event plans and it becomes easy to have the little one be included in all ways on this special day for Mom. It is baby’s pending arrival that has you gathered after all!

Article Source: http://www.a-1articles.com

About The Author Cheryl Salto loves helping to make celebrations personal and meaningful as the owner of AllInOneFunFavors.com specializing in providing an extensive online selection of event favors for life’s special celebrations. www.allinonefunfavors.com

The Border Collie Excelling at Herding Search and Rescue Competitive Sports and Much More

Scout is a Border Collie we were given four years ago. He is a beautiful tri-colored dog that is full of energy. The first two years we had him he hardly stopped running.

His family hated to give him up but they had moved from their home with two acres to a house with a very small yard. Scout was going crazy, and driving the neighbors crazy as well.

He loves our large yard and can run the 100+ foot distance from one side to the other in two seconds flat. He is beautiful to watch as he seems to hardly touch the ground.

Scout, like most Border Collies, gets along great with everyone and is never a problem with other dogs. He is also gentle with all the animals we have: cats, chickens, rabbit, guinea pigs and pet birds.

For four years he has been a wonderful companion and excellent pet. Now at six years old he is calming down and enjoys laying around the house for most of the day. He is very content as long as he is with one of us.

Border Collies are amazing dogs. Besides being used to herd sheep they have been used as war dogs, sled dogs, therapy and assistance dogs, in competitive sports, as search and rescue dogs, as hunting dogs and, always, as companions.

They come in various colors: black and white, tri-color, blue merle, red and white, liver, red merle, yellow, or white with small amounts of black, brown or red. They can weight anywhere from 25 pounds to 65 pounds.

Since Border Collies are so highly motivated to work many are enjoying the growing sport of Agility. This sport enhances the relationship between dog and handler and creates a confident, bold and motivated dog.

Border Collies also excel in Fly Ball and Frisbee competitions. In northern climates they make up sled-dog teams that are competitive in middle-distance races.

Like all Border Collies, Scout sheds during the spring and summer months. Ones with thick fur, like Scout, develop thick undercoats in winter which must be combed out at the beginning of summer.

Be careful in the hot summer months. Heat exhaustion is a killer. A typical Border Collie doesn’t slow down in the summer so provide him with a little pool to cool off in when he is outside.

Even though Scout has the choice to be inside or out, if anyone is in the backyard he is out there with them, running and barking for the fun of it. He loves being able to jump into his little pool and splash around for a few seconds before he takes off on another run around the yard.

Scout is a great dog and we are very fortunate to have been given this beautiful and bright creature. But they are not for everyone.

Before you acquire a Border Collie puppy or adult make sure you have the space for them to run and that you want to spend two years training and thirteen more enjoying his high energy.

If you are interested in adopting a Border Collie consider fostering one from a rescue. You’ll learn if a Border Collie is for you, save a life, and maybe even end up adopting your foster dog.

Article Source: http://www.a-1articles.com

Carol Stack enjoys writing articles about dogs, especially her dogs. She and her daughter are putting together a web site especially for dog lovers that discusses dog breeds, dog care and dog training at www.christysdogportal.com

Protection From a Home Invasion

If you have a lot of jewelry, valuable documents, cash or other negotiable items, consider installing a safe or a burglar alarm. Don't leave notes for service people or family members on the door, these act as a welcome mat for a burglar.

Trees located near windows or shrubbery that might shield a burglar from view can be major flaws in your home-protection plan. Consider your landscaping plan in light of your protection needs. Keep shrubs trimmed below windows to reduce cover. A burglar would rather enter through a window that is hidden from view than one where he is exposed.

A door with too much space between the door and the frame is an invitation for the burglar to use a jimmy. Reinforce the door with a panel of 3/4-inch plywood or a piece of sheet metal. It is also easy for a burglar to pry through rot. Replace rotted door frames with new, solid wood. When installing a window lock, drip some solder on the screw heads. It will stop a burglar from unscrewing the lock after cutting a small hole in the windowpane.

When you are away or traveling have neighbors, friends or family pick up your mail or even better contact the post office to hold your mail. Employ someone to mow your lawn, use your garbage cans, and park in your driveway when you are away. Even if a burglar knows you are away, the activity around your home will act as a deterrent. Consider an investment in a monitored home security system as they are a very effective deterrent against crime. The home security system that you install need not be a state-of -the art. For the most effective alarm system, conceal all wiring. A professional burglar looks for places where he or she can disconnect the security system.

Some individuals even will place a home security system sticker in their window even though you don't have a security system. The sticker may be enough to cause a thief to pass your house. Put up a security system sign or beware of dog sign and make it visible from the road. Believe it or not it is a proven deterrent.

Use simple safety systems to protect your home. Use locks and other mechanisms to lock the doors that are difficult to break. The longer the burglar takes to break into the house, the greater the chances that he will be caught. Use multiple locks for the doors and windows. At minimum utilize a double locking system for all doors and windows.

If there are door hinges on the outside of your house, take down the door and reset the hinges inside. Otherwise all a thief has to do to gain entry to your home is knock out the hinge pin.

It's simple for a thief to break glass panels and then reach in and open a doorknob from the inside. A door with glass panels should be either fortified, replaced, or secured with dead bolts that can only be opened with a key. Secure sliding glass doors with bars or locks, or put a wooden dowel or broom handle in the door track.

Dogs are good deterrents to burglars. Even a small, noisy dog can be effective burglars do not like to have attention drawn to their presence. Be aware, however, that trained guard dogs do not make good pets. Obedience training and attack training are entirely different, and only the former is appropriate for a house pet.

Think like a burglar. Put yourself in his shoes and find out the weak spots in the house from where the burglar can enter the house. When you do this you will be able to find the weak spots and can protect your home better. For example stand outside the window of your living room. Look at all the valuables in the room that a burglar can take. See how you can hide them, from view or rearrange them, in other rooms where they are not visible. Use hasp with protective covers for locks. This mechanism will make it more difficult for the burglar to break into the house. Have a home burglar alarm security system fitted in your house to protect your home.

Plan to "burglarize" yourself. You'll discover any weaknesses in your security system that may have previously escaped your notice.

Article Source: http://www.a-1articles.com

Francesca Black develops educational material for www.security-port.com and www.security-protection.net a top resource for locating security related RSS feeds.

Empower your Kids Organize your Life

Are you robbing your children the opportunity to learn valuable life skills? Moms who do less, provide more learning opportunities and have children with higher self esteem. When the whole family is involved in creating and following a smooth routine, magic happens.

Imagine for a moment your child waking up, and making her bed. She quietly gets dressed, and packs her bag for school. She strolls to the kitchen and puts a lunch ticket in her bag. The cat greets her and she fills his bowl with food, then takes out the trash. You arrive in the kitchen, say good morning, as you both sit down together and eat breakfast. Sound too good to be true? This is the routine my 7 year old happily performs each school day morning. How? Last August wecreated a chart of responsibilities for all family members. Being recently separated from their father, we all needed to pitch in so I could run my coaching business, and the boys could be part of a nurturing family routine.

How to do it: List your child's responsibilities (i.e. make bed, sort laundry, pack lunch) List fun activities (i.e. computer time, bike riding) Divide the day into 3 parts, before school, after school, and nighttime. When the list of responsibilities is complete, its time for the fun activities.

Why does this work? First it empowers kids to make decisions that help them get what they want, a valuable life skill. Next, it is a clear plan, that is easy to understand and accomplish. It feels good for kids to contribute, to see the results. Their pride boosts their self esteem. It removes policing responsibility from you. The answer to the question "Can I ride my bike?" is on the chart. When the chart items are done, the fun activities begin. By mid school year we stopped posting the charts in their regular spot on the refrigerator. Why? The boys no longer needed them. The assigned duties had become well established routines, and the charts were no longer necessary. They knew what to do and when to do it.

Would you like to give it a try? I have posted Spencer and Avery's charts on my website for you. Modify them for your family, and watch the change it creates. Its a beautiful sight when my boys run in the door grab a snack and zoom off to get their homework done!

Article Source: http://www.a-1articles.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Patti Keating, is a Coach, Success Trainer, and Speaker. To learn more about her and sign up for more FREE tips like these, visit her site at www.IntentionsCoaching.com NOTE: You’re welcome to “reprint” this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the “about the author” info at the end), and you send a copy of your reprint to Patti@IntentionsCoaching.com

Stretch Your Carpet The Right Way An Important Step For Keeping Beautiful Carpets

Don’t you just hate it when you trip over the wrinkles in your carpet? Such wrinkles or loose carpeting comes about over time, when various activities contribute to loosen the carpet from the moorings at the edges. When a carpet is first installed, it will be properly installed and secured at the edges with tacks to keep it in place. But with constant wear and tear, such as dragging heavy furniture across the carpet, vacuuming that pulls at the carpet constantly, it can loosen the carpet somewhat.

In order to remove the wrinkles from your carpet, all you would need to do is to perform a simple carpet stretching procedure and your carpet will be back to looking as new in no time. Of course, it is always best to engage professional help as there are technical issues involved: such as moving the heavy furniture away before the tacks can even be taken out.

The entire procedure is relatively painless and fuss free, usually taking less than an hour to complete, although the size of your room would have to be a consideration as well. Do remember that for the carpet to be stretched, it tends to require more than one sole person attempting to do all the manual work, so starting the job all by yourself is usually not advisable.

The cost for stretching a carpet would cost approximately $0.50 cents a square foot or more depending in the size and quality of your carpet. The general rule of thumb is that thicker carpets require far more strength and labor to be stretched and thus the cost will be proportionately higher. Should your carpet require trimming, the professional team will also handle it as well.

How would you know when you need to stretch your carpet? A simple test can be conducted. The simplest way is to try and pull at the centre of the carpet and if it is possible, to hold if for a couple of minutes before releasing it. Should it bounce back neatly and tightly in place, chances are, you do not need to call in professional aid for carpet stretching.

However, when the carpet does not return to its original elasticity and forms wrinkles instead, it is time for your carpet to be stretched. Another method is to monitor the condition of your carpet whenever you vacuum it. Should there be wrinkles forming whenever your are vacuuming, it is a sure sign that your carpet needs stretching.

For those who still think that they are up to the job of stretching the carpets themselves, there are some guidelines to follow to ensure that the procedure is as painless as possible. Do ensure that there are more than two people to render help. It would be best if someone in the group has a talent for carpentry as the tacks would need to be first removed and then replaced.

At times, the carpet might need trimming and a steady hand would come in useful for the task. Of course, manual labor is needed as all the heavy furniture must first be shifted away before the carpet stretching can commence, and that is the laborious part!

Moses Wright is a webmaster of many sites. He offers more useful information on Carpet Choosing , Carpet Cleaning and
Carpet Cleaning Company that you can find online on his website. You can reprint this article if you keep the content and live link intact.

This article is free for republishing
Source: http://www.a1articles.com

What is a Home Inspection

The real estate industry is a multi-billion dollar sector in the United States. There are many players in each real estate transaction with home inspectors being as important as the real estate closing itself.

Families move, on the average, once every five to seven years. Also, just under 70% of all homes bought and sold in the United States are evaluated by a home inspector. Given these two statistics, the home inspection industry is a major player in most real estate transactions. Home Inspection Defined A home inspection is a non-invasive visual examination of specific components in a residential property. The general components observed or evaluated are the structure, mechanical systems, and the lot or grounds. A home inspection is not a code inspection; they can be very different.

Many states now require home inspectors to be licensed and insured. Licensed home inspectors are considered professionals. So, before selecting a home inspector, ask for their credentials and find out whether your state licenses home inspectors. The licensing state will generally require that the home inspector have a certain number of classroom hours (some actually take correspondence), attend a specified number of "dead inspection", attend a certain number of "live inspections", and pass a national test. In many states, after the test has been passed but before the home inspector performs a home inspection on residential property for resale, the home inspector must obtain Errors and Omissions and General Liability insurances.

States licensing home inspectors will typically have "Standards of Practice" or a "Code of Ethics" that the inspectors must follow. The Standards typically outline the minimum you can expect from a home inspector or what can and cannot be expected in a home inspection. For example, home inspections are generally not technically exhausted. That is, home inspectors do not necessarily inspect the cause of certain problems; they merely report that there appears to be an issue and recommend further evaluation.

Home inspections may contain items greater than the typical Standards but they should never contain less. For example an HVAC technician who is now performing home inspection may offer a very thorough evaluation of your heating and cooling system for an additional fee. This is perfectly fine as the home inspector can always do more than the Standards of Practice. How Much Will A Typical Home Inspection Cost? The cost of a home inspection varies widely by location of the property, size of the buildings inspected, and the depth of the inspection. As a general statement, home inspectors must inspect certain systems in the home. They must also describe certain features of the home as well. For instance, saying that the home has a roof is no more information than most of us can gather on our own. But saying that the dwelling has an asphalt shingled roof with OSB sheathing gives us a considerable amount of additional information.

With that said and at the time of this writing, Baton Rouge home inspections run between $250 and $400 per inspection for a house under 2,500 square feet. New Orleans home inspections and Lafayette home inspections run roughly in the same range.

This price range may appear wide but certain inspectors offer a "bare bones inspection" that is relatively cheap while others offer a few more bells and whistles for a slightly higher price. Lower priced home inspections may be as equally thorough as a higher priced inspection but this is not always the case. Do keep in mind that a higher price does not necessarily mean less value in the home inspection business. The cliché, "You get what you pay for" definitely holds true when dealing with home inspections. What Can I Expect From My Home Inspector? Home inspectors should provide a thorough evaluation of your home as defined above. After inspecting your home, home inspectors will give you a home inspection report. These reports will generally outline each area that the home inspector reviewed and, more importantly, those that he did not.

Limitations are outlined in the home inspection report. Limitations of your home inspection are those items that prevented a thorough inspection. Home inspectors do not move furniture or rugs and many do not remove items such as child proof receptacle covers. Given that a home inspection is a visual examination, furniture or grass around the foundation can really obscure the inspector's view.

A typical home inspection report will contain a detail section as well as a summary page or pages. Many useful tips may be buried within the text of the home inspection report. It is always good to take some time to sit down and review the whole report. Some reports may be in excess of 30 pages. Don't let this alarm you! Home inspection reports typically will explain the deficiencies found in your home as well as offer some very useful tips. Some inspection reports can be viewed as a mini homeowners … owner's manual.

Most home inspectors pay for a report template from third parties. This template may be either a paper template that is completed by hand or a computerized template that is completed on the computer. There are advantages to each type of report, most of which deal with the speed that the client receives the home inspection report. The typical turnaround time for a home inspection report may be as quick as the inspection is complete to as long as 24 hours or more out. This is a question that you should ask your inspector when you are requesting your home inspection.

Must I Be at the Home Inspection Home inspectors typically like their clients to be at the inspection. They do realize that many times this is not possible. During a typical inspection, the client, the seller's real estate agent, and the client's real estate agent will attend the home inspection. It is wise for the client to take the time during the home inspection to walk around the house and make a list of questions that they would like to ask the home inspector. Making a list and asking the questions at the end of the inspection is most always preferable to asking individual questions as they come to mind. The more the client interrupts the home inspector, the more likely the home inspector is to overlook something. That is not necessarily a deficiency in the home inspector but a quality of being human. The home inspector is concentrating on doing a good job for the client but the more interruptions, the more likely an error will occur.

Home inspectors generally welcome questions from the client but most like them asked all at once at the end of the inspection. Don't be afraid to ask but also remember that the inspector is not necessarily going to tell you what you want to hear. You are paying them for their unbiased point of view. They are trying their best to provide you with quality information about the current visible condition of your new home so that you will not be unpleasantly surprised in the future.

Once the home inspection is complete, the home inspector will generally review the findings with the client. Many call this their "post inspection interview" and there is no better place to do this than on site. The client can walk around with the home inspector and see the potential issues first hand. This is also the perfect opportunity for the client to ask the inspector about the issues on their list. When Do I Pay for the Home Inspection The home inspection fee is typically paid to the inspector before the inspection report is delivered. Many inspectors prefer to have the money in hand before they begin the inspection process while others may wait until the report is prepared and ready to be delivered. This is a point that will come up so the client can ask the home inspector before the inspection at what point they require payment.

If the client is unable to make the inspection, it is okay to send payment with the realtor or another representative. The client should keep in mind that the home inspector may or may not discuss their findings with the agent. There is confidentiality between the client and the home inspector. The client should designate who can receive the home inspection information other than themselves.

Good Luck!

This should give you an idea of what to expect from a home inspector and how the inspection process will be handled. Each home inspector is different and may use somewhat different techniques. Good luck and best wishes with your home inspection!

Article Source:GoodInfoHome.com