Oh no, so what if I have not been all that good all the time? Do I still get free gifts at Christmas? How about you? What if there really was a Santa Clause? Whoops, are you now sorry for flipping that person off on the freeway? Yelling at your spouse? Saying something negative behind someone’s back? Remember; “he knows” so you cannot deny it? What if? Well, so much for those new golf clubs, BMW or new ultra-thin nano size iPod. What if there was a God like Santa Clause which bribed you not with Eternal Salvation, but made you be good in trade for material stuff? Would you be naughty or nice?

Many believe it might work better than religion, because people could careless about heaven as that is a long time away and they know they are guilty and have so many skeletons in their closets that potentially they will never get their anyway. Yet Santa Clause, ah, that indeed might be something they can get into as he could bring a new SUV, plat panel large screen TV with surround a sound or some tickets for deluxe vacation cruise, which we all believe we deserve. Indeed, What if There Really Was a Santa Clause? Think on that.

“Lance Winslow” - Online WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/ Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance in the Online Think Tank and solve the problems of the World; WorldThinkTank.net www.WorldThinkTank.net/

Baby Will Love Cloud B’s Animal-theme Unique Newborn Gift Idea

This scary, strange new world will feel just that bit better with a fluffy Sleep Sheep friend. This cuddly creature by Cloud B’s baby sleep experts, hugs a sound box with tranquil nature sounds and mom’s reassuring heart beat in the background. This unique newborn gift idea will shoo away scary night time noises and replace them with calming, recognizable sounds that will help the newborn infant to let the Sandman in.

Your baby gift idea comes with the sound of spring showers, mesmerizing ocean surf and delightful whale songs. The fluffy sheep fastens with velcro to the crib or cot bed, keeping it close by. After 23 minutes it switches off automatically.

Unique Newborn Baby Gift - Stimulate Baby Vision With Infant Stim-Mobile

The Wimmer Ferguson Manhatten Baby, with more than four decades of infant vision research, has become synonymous with quality baby goodies. In the Infant Stim-Mobile they have a unique newborn gift idea that will provide hours of entertainment for any newborn infant. Simple and complex graphics give a newborn baby the opportunity to focus on areas where light and dark come together. The graphic cards are cleverly reversible, allowing parents to create new, interesting variations of the patterns as the baby develops.

This award winning unique newborn gift idea comes with 10 black and white cards, and the sturdy, upright stand. The set now also includes bold color cards to brighten things up. Any baby will benefit from the scanning, focusing, tracking and orienting eye activities.

Baby Discovers Reading With Double Sided First Book As Unique Newborn Gift Idea

This is a clever baby shower or newborn gift idea. The ordinary crib bumper becomes baby’s first introduction to reading. The Infant-Stim Tiny Love Crib Bumper Panel and Book is reversible, bright and colorful. Change tummy-time niggles into a time of visual stimulation and delight with this unique newborn gift idea.

A newborn infant will benefit from the high-contrast black, white and red illustrations. Three to six month old babies will adore the reverse side with more complex three dimensional figures and activities. The proximity of this colorful display encourages neck and shoulder exercise and movement. The bumper-book can also be used in a baby stroller or playpen.

Wrapping A Baby In Love With A Fluffy Unique Newborn Gift Idea

Contribute a beloved keepsake by giving one of the many soft baby blankets as your unique newborn gift idea. If you find a way to transform it into a uniquely personalized baby blanket, so much the better. A pinwheel weave baby blanket always looks and feels great. These 100% cotton receiving blankets made by such folk as the skilled artisans of Churchill Weavers in Berea Kentucky, are machine washable and kind to delicate baby skins. A wide variety of colors are available.

A Gund Comfy Cozy Puppy Makes A Delightfully Unique Newborn Gift Idea

These adorable security blankies will be taken everywhere. The softest plush that begs to be hugged comes with a cute puppy character. All the embroidered begging eyes ask for, is lots of love and cuddles. The underside or this unique newborn baby gift idea comes with satin pads. The puppy ears are made for chewing and gnawing. The Gund Comfy Cozy Puppy is machine washable. It comes in many other character variations. This will always be a comforting gift idea for a newborn baby.

Unique Newborn Gift Idea - White Noise Helps Parents Survive And Soothes Baby

White noise is a sound frequency that sounds like a ‘hiss’, similar to radio static or ocean sounds. The creators of a white noise sound CD series, generates white noise by adjusting sound frequencies until they have a soothing sound signal that can be used for sleep and relaxation. The full frequency spectrum used in this case is the reason behind its success. This technique can be used very effectively for newborns and adults alike. With these unique sets of CD’s at home, you don’t need a white noise machine.

Especially colicky kids or babies with infant acid reflux will benefit from this unique newborn gift idea.

Choose the New Baby 8 CD gift pack to give a restless little one (and his or her exhausted parents!) blissful sleep and relaxation. The set includes:

Night Night Time - Soothing lullaby melodies against a background of mom’s heartbeat

Baby By The Sea - Let ocean waves lull the infant gently to sleep.

Baby By The Brook - Nurturing nature sounds and lullabies bring sleep on.

Sing-A-Long Lullabies - Moms and babies alike enjoy this bonding CD.

Baby’s First PWN - Soft, calming white noise sounds for newborns.

Baby’s Fan - The mesmerizing purr of a fan takes baby softly into sleep.

Baby’s Vacuum Cleaner - The white noise frequencies of a vacuum cleaner are very popular with newborns.

Baby’s Blow Dryer - Blow a fussy baby’s mind with the white noise from a hair dryer.

Also available as a unique newborn gift idea, is the New Parent Survival Pack. These CD’s include sounds like rain, pure white noise, waves, lullaby songs, and bubbling brooks.

Tiny Baby Footprints And Handprint Kits In Clay With Unique Newborn Gift Idea

Another winner in a newborn baby gift basket is a baby handprint or baby footprint kit. One option is a clay keepsake baby handprint kit. This unique newborn baby gift idea will enable parents to create treasured keepsakes for themselves, grandparents and other family members. Use a heart clay tile and follow the instructions to create a perfect baby footprint of your newborn’s tiny feet. The self-drying Mexican pottery clay makes it really easy to create numerous baby footprint keepsakes and baby handprint memento’s. Or opt for the Angel Baby Handprint Kit or an adorable Teddy Bear Baby Footprint Kit

Always remember the other siblings in the family and take along something special for them as well. Chosen with care, your unique newborn gift idea can bring pleasure and happy memories for years to come.

Cribs-for-Babies.com - With a spot-on gift idea, this is the reaction you might see: treat yourself to this extremely popular cribs-for-babies.com/family-laughing-baby.php hilarious video clip of a laughing baby. For more information read Cribs-For-Babies.com/baby-handprint-footprint.php Baby Handprint Footprint Ink Keepsake Kit - Tiny Toe And Footprint Frame Craft at Cribs-For-Babies.com - by Rika Susan of Article-Alert.com, where you will discover the number one online Article-Alert.com/legitimate-home-based-business-opportunity.php legitimate home based business opportunity. Copyright of this article: 2006 Rika Susan. This article may be reprinted if the resource box and hyperlinks are left intact.

Searching for the right anniversary gift to give to your partner can be difficult, but you can very well start with the year of your anniversary. Anniversary years are often associated with standard symbols like silver for 25th anniversary, pearl for the 30th, gold for the 50th, and diamond for the 60th. The silver and golden anniversaries are likely the ones you are most familiar with. However, from the first year on you’ll find a corresponding symbol. If it’s your 12th anniversary, you can buy your spouse a new silk dress, as it stands for silk, or perhaps a silver bracelet if it’s your 25th anniversary.

After deciding on the type of anniversary gift that you will give your partner based on the symbol that represents the number of years you have been together, it’s time to do some shopping. This is actually the worst part for some people. So instead of trudging to the department store just to find the right anniversary gift, you can start by getting online and searching for anniversary gifts.

Shopping online for anniversary gifts is more convenient for you because it provides a wide variety of options. And once you have selected the perfect gift, you don’t have to rush outside to get it. You can simply place your order online, make your payment online using your credit card, and then have the item shipped right to your home.

Buying the perfect anniversary gift for your partner may be a difficult process but because of the advantage of the Internet it’s been made easier.

z-Gifts.com Gifts provides detailed information on Gifts, Christmas Gifts, Baby Gifts, Anniversary Gifts and more. Gifts is affiliated with i-giftideas.com Birthday Gift Ideas.

Good works are never a reason why anyone goes to heaven. Rather, they should be a result of trusting Jesus’ work on the cross to pay for one’s way to heaven. When you’re the beneficiary of God’s grace, you’re positioned to bless others. Gratitude, not the guilt of trying to earn salvation, should motivate Christians to do good works.

Jesus offended people when he said, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent” (John 6:29). The offense continues because we so much want to contribute to our salvation. It takes humility to admit that our goodness falls far short of God’s righteousness.

Why should Christians do right if they are assured of heaven by faith alone in Christ alone?

“God rejoices when we do right,” says Jennifer, 11. “When we do right, God blesses us, praises us, rewards us and cherishes us. When we do right, we show that we appreciate him and love him with all out heart, soul, mind, spirit and body. God loves us, and he knows we understand that when we do what is right.”

Thank you, Jennifer, for expressing the joy of fellowship in a love relationship. Is it really a burden to do things for someone we love?

Immediately after the Apostle Paul wrote that going to heaven is “not of works, least anyone should boast,” he wrote that Christians are “created in Christ Jesus for good works” (Ephesians 2:8-10).

Although doing right won’t get us into heaven, God will bless our socks off for doing it. As Jennifer said, God wants us to do right because he’s waiting to bless us. Don’t keep him waiting.

“If you choose to do wrong, it is not pleasing to God. He will not be happy, and you will feel bad inside,” says Abby, 10.

Have you ever hurt someone you loved? The pain of hurting a loved one is excruciating. Bible scholar Zane Hodges once said, “The greatest motivation for holy living is unconditional love.”

The unconditional love of being a child of God is both constraining and liberating. It’s constraining because we know our actions can cause great grief to God. “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God,” the Apostle Paul wrote (Ephesians 4:30).

Being God’s child is liberating because our security as Christians is in who God made us, not in what we do. If we forget who we are, God has a way of getting our attention. He promises discipline for all his children. It’s the discipline of a loving father who wants the best for his children (Hebrews 12:6).

“God loves you so much, it would hurt Him to see you do wrong,” says Ashley, 9.

Not only is God grieved when his children sin, but often others are hurt, says Rebecca, 7: “We should always say ’sorry’ if we hurt someone’s feelings or heart. We not only hurt that person’s heart, we’re hurting God’s heart.”

When Christians sin, it’s a family matter. Salvation from sin’s penalty occurs when anyone believes in Jesus as their savior. Salvation from sin’s power occurs when Christians confess their sins to God and experience restored fellowship. Acknowledging our wrongs to people hurt by our sins can restore a relationship.

Think about this: Do right for the right reasons. Enjoy God and look for ways to express your love for him.

Memorize this truth: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

Ask this question: Do you do right because God has made you righteous, or are you trying to become righteous by doing good deeds?

Carey Kinsolving is a syndicated columnist, producer, author, speaker and website developer. To see Carey’s Kid TV Interviews and more, visit KidsTalkAboutGod.org/ KidsTalkAboutGod.org/ The Kids Talk About God website contains free, online content for children and families. Print free lessons from the “Kids Color Me Bible” and make your own book. Watch for free the adventures of an 11-year-old girl traveling around the world, visiting missionaries in the Mission Explorers Streaming Video. Print Bible pictures drawn by kids that illustrate Scripture verses. Receive a complimentary, weekly e-mail subscription to our Devotional Bible Lessons. Bible quotations in this column are from the New King James Version.

Copyright 2006 Carey Kinsolving

Why are November and December so toxic to our weight control efforts? Certainly there is abundant food available during the month long celebration from Thanksgiving to New Year. It is the season for non-stop parties and gifts of food from colleagues, friends, family, and customers.

But more than just the food, there is a special atmosphere that descends on the Western World at the end of November. Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzai – whatever the celebration involved – evoke the onset of primitive emotions. We wax nostalgic over the holidays we recall from childhood. We turn towards family and traditions that have been absent from our thoughts for the rest of the year. We indulge ourselves in the joy of giving and receiving.

Cookies, and chocolates, and gift baskets bursting with preservatives, which we would politely refuse during any other time of the year, are now gratefully accepted in the spirit of the season. Food we would normally avoid – creamed soups, fruit glazes, gravy, fruit breads, honeyed hams – appear as comfort foods, warming and welcoming. Our sophisticated and world-weary veneer fades in the face of traditions that make us feel whole and contented again.

The goodwill we feel demands a context and a continuity that was established many years ago. Each December, we trot out the same old carols, enjoying the familiarity of tunes we learned to love sitting next to a glittering tree and a roaring fire. For a month, we emotionally step back in time to reconnect who we are with who we were. Despite its current crass commercialism, we need the holidays to remind us of our roots, our values, and our beginnings.

So this year, I am going to throw myself into the fray, eat whatever I want, and let the chips fall where they may. I can always wear something else to the office party and there will be innumerable occasions in the New Year when I can attain caloric virtue through deprivation and denial.

This year, I’m going to have guilt-free, unalloyed, and omnivorous fun.

Bon Appetit!

Virginia Bola is a licensed psychologist and an admitted diet fanatic. She specializes in therapeutic reframing and the effects of attitudes and motivation on individual goals. The author of The Wolf at the Door: An Unemployment Survival Manual, and a free ezine, The Worker’s Edge, she recently published a psychologically-based weight control e-workbook, “Diet with an Attitude” which develops mental skills towards the goal of permanent weight control. She can be reached at DietWithAnAttitude.com/index2.html DietWithAnAttitude.com/index2.html She provides support and guidance in use of the workbook through her regular blog, dietwithanattitude.blogspot.com dietwithanattitude.blogspot.com

You need to get down on your baby’s level. Things that you
wouldn’t expect can be dangerous. See what they see, and make it
safe.

Change the way you think. Look at what’s around your baby and
think what could happen–worst possible scenario. Could my baby
pull something down on him? Are there any cords he could pull?
Any electrical outlets, or corners of tables that he could fall
into and hit his head?

If, for example, you’re cleaning your house and the phone rings,
don’t leave your household cleaners in reach of your baby.
Sometimes we can get distracted, but just being distracted for
even a second could possibly make the difference between life
and death.

Be alert during stressful times of the day. When you’re getting
all the kids off to school, or running late for an appointment
you can get distracted. Don’t forget to close the baby gate to
the stairs, or strap the baby in the highchair. You know your
busy schedule.

Do not leave your baby alone in the house at any time. Don’t
ever leave your baby alone in a room, unless you have a playpen
or a crib. Even in these instances, only leave your baby alone
if you have to. As safe as cribs and play pens are, the baby
can rock the play pen and tip it over, causing possible injury.
If the baby can pull himself up, he can lean too far over and
flip out of the crib. Only leave baby alone in cribs or
playpens while sleeping, and only if you have a baby monitor so
you can hear when they wake up.

Make a place for your baby that is completely baby proof so he
can have freedom to explore. Freedom to explore gives your baby
the chance to learn and feel different textures. Babies learn
from there mistakes, so try to refrain from hovering over them
and being over protective. Babies and toddlers are going to get
hurt. Your job as a parent is to prevent your baby from the
major, serious injuries.

Know what to do in case of an emergency–accidents are bound to
happen–but knowing what to do in case of an emergency can save
lives. Know your emergency numbers. You can even take CPR and
Heimlich maneuver classes locally in your area. Better safe
than sorry, I always say.

Follow these safety tips and you will find you can make your
baby safe in a house full of danger. Remember you can’t prevent
all accidents, but when it comes to baby safety you can prevent
the majority of them.

baby.ideas-from.us baby.ideas-from.us

First of all, let me say that I am against animal cruelty in any form, but by the same token what a person does in their home and in their religious practice is none of the public or government’s business as long as the activity doesn’t harm another person. As citizens we’ve already lost too many personal privileges originally secured by the Bill of Rights. Therefore, I’m opposed to any law that legislates what a person can or cannot do in regards to their marriage, healthcare, home or religion.

Where does the practice of animal sacrifice originate? The Old Testament of the Bible supported the ritual of animal sacrifice to Jehovah or Yahweh, the God of the Jews. It stands to reason that anyone who believes that the Bible is the infallible word of God also believes that animal sacrifice is an acceptable form or worship—although not needed in New Testament times. So, why is it a big deal if someone kills an animal as part of a religious practice? From what I’ve studied about these religions, the meat is eaten rather than wasted, and the spirit of the animal is respectfully asked to give up its blood and life for the purpose of helping a human.

More than 95 percent of Americans are meat eaters which means most of us don’t have a problem with an animal being killed for a human to have dinner. These animals are not treated humanly; the environment in which they are raised is atrocious! The poultry and cattle industries are financially assisted by the government to maximize profits. Just think of all the people who ate turkey on Thanksgiving Day. And we were thankful for the sacrifice of life; we even gave thanks to God when we said grace before our meal. And, those birds weren’t even sacrifice to a deity…or were they? Yes, they were sacrificed to the gods of greed and gluttony.

Which one of us is not guilty? Some animals are killed in a meat packaging plant. Some are killed on the farm, others are hunted, some give their life in a religious ritual. Death is death. Does it really matter where the animal dies?

When it comes to animal sacrifice, let a vegan cast the first stone.

Yvonne Perry is a metaphysical freelance writer, author and keynote speaker who enjoys assisting people on a spiritual path. Her open style of writing is lovingly controversial and challenges people’s belief systems in order to help them grow spiritually. Get a complimentary copy of Yvonne’s E-book More Than Meets the Eye: True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife when you subscribe to her newsletter at yvonneperry.net/books.htm yvonneperry.net/books.htm

My Dad is in his late eighties now and in very bad health. He shuffles with a walker, has a heart that should have given out years ago, has neuropathy with little or no feeling in his legs and a horrific back that has endured two spinal fusions and leaves him in constant pain. The latest is skin cancer. So he can be cranky. If I were in his condition, I would be completely nuts and asking to be put out of my misery! Dad? He still goes into his office everyday and works out a few times a week! Adding insult to injury, he has been fighting off Alzheimers for years now and I firmly believe that it is his iron will and determination that have kept it at bay.

I adore and love my Dad. He has been a good Father but Dad was never easy. I won’t go in all the psycho-babble but suffice it to say, the judgments he has rendered throughout my brothers’ and my life have been debilitating. He’s a tough one. That’s why he is still around. Still around with all of his character traits amplified.

Here’s what I know about dealing with my aging and ailing Father:

1) In one ear and out the other: After all these years I have finally figured out that the ‘stuff’ that my Father carries around with him from his childhood makes mine look like a walk in the park! He endured poverty, the death of his Mother when he was two, a stepmother that cared for him but never really showed him any affection, ant-Semitism in a small Ohio town, WWII…need I go on? When he says something that I consider hurtful or inappropriate, I just stop and look at his inner child and it makes it easier to let it all roll off my back. It’s not about me. It’s never been about me.

2) Limit the conversation if necessary: There are still subjects that we really don’t need to talk about. We have learned after all these years that there are areas best left untouched. We have plenty of other things to discuss, things that I have always wanted to know, things that have real meaning.

3) Concentrate on bringing them joy: Whatever I can do at this point to give my parents a little joy I will do. It doesn’t take a lot of effort to call everyday, to send him flowers, to take him on walks…whatever. The things that I know make him happy, I try to do.

4) Accept what is: I cannot control my Dad anymore then I can control what has happened to him. I can only control myself which is hard enough. I can only search within myself to handle things in such a way that will make us all more content and comfortable.

5) Give him independence for as long as possible: It’s true for my parents today and it will be the same for me in thirty years. The loss of Dad’s ability to drive was a huge blow but we knew when we had to lay down the law. He really shouldn’t be going into the office anymore but if we take that away, it will destroy him. We’ll know when the time comes that he simply has to give it up. In the meantime, whatever we can do to leave him his dignity will keep him going.

6) It’s my Daddy: This is the man that along with my wonderful and stoic Mom has raised me; whose lap I sat in feeling like nothing could ever me; whose arms I used to jump into as a child; who I could always count on; who provided for his family and who loves me more than I could ever ask. At this point in our lives, that’s all that matters.

Time is short for my Dad and me. I know that. Right now I cannot imagine life without him. He has always been there for me. I have always had a safety net, an emotional giant to rely on. I must be that for him now. What I must concentrate on now, even on those days when he makes me feel so low, are all the incredible and wonderful things he has done for me over the years. Just love him.

You can live a life that truly works and you can achieve peak performance in all areas of your life. You can not only survive life’s unexpected changes and transitions but also thrive. Powerful change is possible. You are fully capable of creating a life that you choose.

Life Coaching is a proven, powerful, one-on-one professional relationship that promises to improve the quality of your life!

Learn how to create positive change in your life. Visit changecoachshelley.com changecoachshelley.com and take your free customized Life Quiz and also Shelley’s Blog at shelleyblog.changecoachshelley.com shelleyblog.changecoachshelley.com for more tools for personal growth and power.
Contact Shelley Stile at mailto:shelleystile@changecoachshelley.com shelleystile@changecoachshelley.com today!

Frustrated family members concerned about the level of care their loved one is receiving call often. Most of the time, their complaints cannot and should not be addressed by filing a lawsuit – so we provide more general advice. That advice is as follows:

Be Organized:

Keep a diary or a log of every visit to the nursing home or assisted living facility and include the following information:

Date / time of visit.
Location - where your loved one was upon arrival.
Complaints - stained clothes, sheets, food problems, no water? Write the complaints down.
Notify staff - make a written and verbal complaint to the charge nurse. Write down her name, and what she said would be done about the problem.
Follow up – next time you are there and ask the nurse what has been done. Ask to see the chart where the corrected action should have been documented.

Document Your Complaints:

If the problem continues take photographs; send a letter to the nursing home administrator requesting a conference. Ask that staff receive further training. Ask to see the facility’s policies and procedures (you have this right under the Virginia Administrative Code) and compare what the staff is doing with what is required by the facility’s policies and procedures.

Complain to State/Local Authorities:

If the problems get worse, or a single accident causes harm, call your local Department of Social Services (each County has one) and ask to speak to Adult Protective Services. File a complaint. You may call the Virginia Department of Health (1-800-955-1919) and file a complaint with them as well.

How to Work with Attending Physicians:

Many attending physicians also serve as Medical Directors to the facility. They are only obligated to review a resident’s chart and or examine them, pursuant to Medicare requirements, and when a change in condition occurs. Ask to speak to the attending physician after each visit to determine whether there has been a change in condition. If it is a routine visit, contact the physician to find out what was examined. If medications are changed, ask why? Be curious, and write down the answers you receive. We have discovered in our cases where some nurses actually will draft the physician’s orders and then call the physician after the fact, just to get their “ok”.

What to do if a Fall Occurs:

If a fall occurs immediately go the facility. Ask for the name of individual who found your loved one. Where was the fall? What was he wearing? Was there medical equipment involved? Write all of this down. Who examined your family member to assess their status after the fall? Who determined that no injury occurred? Did a roommate witness the fall?

Follow up with the charge nurse – ask what is being done to prevent another fall. Ask to attend the Fall Committee’s next conference when your family member is being discussed.

Also, consider the context of the fall – what time of day? Where were they going? Had they asked for help? Do they have the ability to ask for help? Is your family member taking any new medications which may cause dizziness?

What if Your Resident Stops Eating:

We hear staff say all the time – “we tried to get her to eat, but she refused.” Is that true? What is the facility policy? I am certain the policy doesn’t say, “if resident refuses to eat discontinue attempts.” It likely requires staff to provide an alternative or supplement until the resident gets needed calories. Malnutrition can lead to the development of decubitus ulcers and prevents existing decubitus ulcers from healing.

Review the chart. Can your loved one see to eat? Can he or she feed themself? What about the food – will he eat what you bring? If so – tell the nurse and ask them to chart it. Patient refusal is a big excuse given by facilities when problems occur.

Discuss supplements, intravenous nutrition, energy bars – there are ways to get needed calories in. Is the physician aware? Make him aware.

Conclusion:

There are too many possible problems in a nursing home setting to anticipate or touch on here. However, it is important to be a diligent family member who takes notes and knows about the care provided, including who is providing the care. Also, VISIT, VISIT OFTEN – bring other family, ministers, anyone who will go. A supportive family can mean the difference between good care and poor care.

Lauren Ellerman is an attorney with Frith Law Firm in Roanoke, Virginia. She concentrates her practice on medical malpractice, nursing home abuse, nursing home neglect, lead paint poisoning, and business torts. You may view her complete profile at frithlawfirm.com/lauren.htm frithlawfirm.com/lauren.htm and the firm’s home page at frithlawfirm.com frithlawfirm.com

The one thing all guests have in common is that they know the mother-to-be. Coming up with baby shower game ideas centered on her will keep everyone interested and involved.

A lot of baby showers are ruined because the party ends up dividing into “cliques.” People who know the guest of honor from work will stick together. People who know her from school will sit in one corner. Family members will isolate themselves as well. Your goal in coming up with baby shower game ideas is to get these groups of guests to interact with each other. Everyone (especially the mother-to-be) will be a lot more relaxed and enjoy themselves much more.

Baby shower party game ideas don’t have to differ much from regular baby shower games. There is no law that says you have to play Baby Shower Bingo at every baby shower! At every shower I’ve been to the hostess has played the “memory tray” game. This is where she places baby-related items on a tray. We all look at it, and then she takes it away and we all try to list what is on the tray. I’m sorry to everyone this will offend, but that game just isn’t much fun. It doesn’t create interaction between the guests. No one gets up from her seat and no one even speaks.

Baby Pictionary would be so much more fun. Some other baby shower game ideas include regular games that you play at parties and get togethers. They are just as much fun when you turn them into baby shower games. All you have to do is get an oversized sketchpad and a tripod. Maybe even just a dry erase board that you can temporarily put on the wall. Make teams where you mix the “cliques” and watch the fun begin. People are all embarrassed (hardly anyone thinks they can draw). People are yelling out answers, laughing, and having a great time.

Poker is incredibly popular right now. Why can’t it become one of your baby shower party game ideas? Simply pick up a few decks of cards that match your theme (Pooh playing cards, for instance), or some toddler playing cards. Then let everyone play a couple of games of stud poker or Texas Hold ‘Em.

Baby Shower Party Game Ideas don’t even have to be limited to being played in your house. I always wanted someone to have guts enough to have a baby shower at Dave and Buster’s or Chuck E. Cheese. The games (and the food) are already provided for you. Plus it would make a great baby shower theme. The last time for the mom-to-be to be a kid herself!

© Copyright Randy Wilson, All Rights Reserved.

Randy has dozens more baby shower related articles at planning-a-baby-shower.com Planning your Baby Shower such as planning-a-baby-shower.com/baby-diaper-cake.html What do you need to make a Baby Diaper Cake?.

The enormous volume that is stocked in all of the supermarkets and shopping centres tells me that I am not the only one that enjoys buying, giving, receiving and eating lots of Easter Eggs and Hot Cross Buns.

As a child growing up in Australia I have fond memories of the Easter Holidays. Sometimes we would go away for a few days on a holiday and other times we would spend it at home. No matter where we were The Easter Bunny always delivered a Chocolate Easter Egg in the middle of the night and I remember waking up to a brightly colored foiled covered egg.

We would spend Easter Sunday lunch with the family. I would wait eagerly at the window watching out at all the cars going by for my Nana to arrive in her little white mini knowing that a chocolate easter egg would be presented to me on arrival. I was never interested in eating lunch and my brothers and sisters and I would eat a token amount and disappear to consume chocolate Easter eggs until we felt really sick.

Over the Easter holiday period we would have Hot cross buns grilled under the griller or baked in the oven with butter spread over them for snacks. Hot Cross Buns tend to have a “burp” factor in some people (and now I am older I am one of them). I am not sure whether it is the spices or the yeast but I have discovered that Chocolate Hot Cross Buns are fine to eat and don’t “repeat” on me. They are delicious fresh from the oven or heated up in the microwave and I have discovered that they are even better with chocolate hazelnut spread instead of butter!

Easter is a great time to spend with your family and eat lots of chocolate Easter eggs and Chocolate Hot Cross Buns. Happy Easter!

Megan McDonald is a self confessed lover of all things Chocolate and loves giving, receiving and eating Easter Eggs and CHOCOLATE Hot Cross Buns.

One interesting point in the need for family are comments coming from business titans, research scientists, prominent politicians, accomplished actors and successful athletes and that is as their careers and life wind down they are often asked; “Is there anything that they regret?” More often than not and I would wager to say 95% of the time they will say, “I wished I had spent more time with my family, that is what is really important to me now.” Some even go so far as to say; “If I had it all over to do again, I would have spent more time with my family, because that is something money cannot buy.”

So you see not only is it a genetically coded innate characteristic it is also a basic need of our own personal psyche for personal satisfaction. All these folks are trying to tell us something; I sincerely hope everyone is listening, because at the end of their lives they are warning us about how we should be living today. Family is everything, so think on this.

“Lance Winslow” - Online WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/ Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance in the Online Think Tank and solve the problems of the World; WorldThinkTank.net www.WorldThinkTank.net/