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16
Nov 10

Design Your Own Stamps

Gone are the days when you must relegate yourself to choosing from among the limited selection of standard-issue postage stamps made available for purchase through the United States Postal Service. Not that there is anything wrong with George Washington, the United States flag, the bald eagle, a heart, Elvis Presley, or Santa Claus.

Now, you have the ability to design your own stamps. Take any photograph, design any graphic, use any logo, scan or download any digital image or text, and you can use it as the backdrop for your own customized postage stamps that you can affix to your envelopes and packages. Perfect for wedding invitations, birthday invitations, birth announcements, holiday greeting cards, commencement announcements, business correspondence, advertising mailers, and more!

From the comfort of your own home or your own office, you can print your own stamps, directly to your own printer. You just have to pay for your postage online and use software and printer paper approved by the United States Postal Service.

Not only does this afford you the freedom to express yourself creatively, but you will never have to make a run to the post office to buy postage stamps ever again! You can print your own stamps at your own convenience, on demand, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, even when the post office is closed.

All you need in order to get started are a computer with Internet access, a weighing scale, a printer (color is preferred but black and white is okay as well), and adhesive printer labels whose size must be approved by the United States Postal Service.

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16
Nov 10

Building Self Esteem Among Children – Become A Better Parent

We all believe that having a family that is spouse and kids is so wonderful. You start weaving big dreams for your child right from the day he/she is born. But just giving them food & clothing does not make you a good parent. You can spend money on your child endlessly but it is far more important to invest your time & emotions in them.

The children are like an encyclopedia of questions and you must face all their queries carefully else you might crop in some devilish idea in to their li’l but very mysterious minds.

One of the most important aspects of parenting is to build a self esteem in your child. This way, you child would be able to achieve success in regards of life, irrespective of the field they opt to go for.

Here are some phenomenon & facts as defined by the expert psychologists about building self esteem among children:

1. It is an undeniable fact that until & unless one love themselves to the extent that they realize their strengths & weaknesses & can use these at their best, the individuals can never become successful.

2. In order to live a long & happy life one must have complete trust on them selves and their capabilities.

3. At the end, all these factors turn out to be the ingredients of having contented & full fledged life.

4. The experts have long debated results on the fact that where & how exactly self esteem in the child comes from. While some psychologists are of the view that it is the function of one’s personality that you usually acquire from both the parents. That is, the confident parents generally have confident kids.

5. However, there are psychologists who deny the theory given above and do not believe that genetic play absolutely any role in this regard. They believe that self esteem & confidence are a function of chance. They believe that some people are just born with that high self-esteem and others are born to have low ranges, quite like the intelligence quotients in the individuals.

6. Another very interesting and diversified view on this issue is that self esteem & confidence in a person are defined by their immediate environment & the circumstances. Your personal experience, choice of friends, parental practices, and the discovery of talents are key factors determining the development of one’s self-esteem.

7. The personal experiences of any individual depend on many further facts like:
a. In the form they face the bullying in the school.
b. Their inter-actions in the social group.

The children who have suffered much bullying tend to have a lower self esteem. Similar things apply with the children who remain outside the social group.

8. Another factor that primarily defines the level of development of self esteem in the kids is their parental practice.
a. The kind of examples the parents discuss before the child or the examples they set, influence his thoughts to a great deal.
b. For instance, a child whose parents always make him take his/her decisions all by himself/herself and they trust his decisions would tend to have a very high self esteem inn the long run.
c. As compared to the over protected children and those who are quite coddled by the parents, such kids would have quite better confidence in themselves.
d. The parents who behave very strict with the child or those who make their child feel helpless, their kids are often not able to make their own decisions with confidence.
e. Hence, the parents must watch their behavior with their kids & also what examples they are setting before their children.

9. The social group & friends that the child chooses for himself / herself also plays a major role in developing their personality.
a. In case you become a part of a group that embraces you individuality in all respects & respects their personal opinions as well, this would definitely have a very positive impact on the growth of your confidence & self esteem.
b. Actually the rapid contrast with your social group puts you down as the person.
c. Having a good social group also cushions you against the various threats of the outside forces that you think would destroy and / or lower your self-esteem.

10. Cliques so play a major role as well. In case you are one among the popular of the high school, it strengthens your ego more as compared to the other groups that are ostracized.

11. In case you have some talent or ability that makes you ahead of the crowd, it serves as a strong tool to build your self esteem & confidence.
a. It helps you offer something to the world that they can admire.
b. This admiration would build more trust & confidence of yours on your individuality.
c. The affirmations, accolades & admiration are often treated some great ego boosts for the individuals at all ages.
d. This proves why the people who become personalities owing to their own talents possess a very high self-esteem as compared to the others.

12. Anyways, self esteem must be alive in your personality in all parlance of the life.
a. For instance, you must be a hero for the school circle, but in your other social inter-actions you fail to utter a single word.
b. The fact is that there are just a few individuals who succeed in achieving that apt & right balance of their self-esteem unanimously in all the walks of life.

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15
Nov 10

College Prep for the Prepared Parent

Do you want your kids to go to college? Do they need your help? How old are they? Do you realize that you may already be running late? Many parents and young people do not start preparing for college until they are in the 11th grade. I am writing this article to give parents some tips that will be helpful in preparing their children for college.

Eighth Grade

When your child begins eighth grade you will already need to be preparing for future success in college.
Hopefully they are a strong math student. In eighth grade they may opt to take Algebra or regular math.
Now do not be mistaken about the importance of being ready for algebra. If your son or daughter is not ready for algebra then by all means they should take a math class in eighth grade that includes pre-algebra.

But, we must realize that in order to get all the math they need before entering college it would be helpful if they can get algebra 1 out of the way while in the eighth grade. This will pave they way for your child to take the other four prepratory math classes in four years of college without having to double up.

You are not going to believe this but a few students actually take a Pre ACT or Pre Sat test while they are in eighth grade. This gives them an edge on other students because it shows them exactly what areas they will need to improve in. Keep in mind that the all important ACT or Sat Test evaluates students performance in Math, English, Science, and Reading.

As soon as your child enters into High School they will have a record that is evaluated by potential colleges. It is important that the counselor works with your child to ensure that they take the proper classes for college bound students. A foreign language, four english classes, advanced science and math classes are foundamental for preparing studens for collelge.

Even if your child does not take the ACT or SAT test early on, I highly recommend that they take them no later than their sophomore year. Yes, it is costly. But the scores on these tests are the most important aspect to being successful in college and determining how much money your child will get in the form of Scholarships. By taking these test in their sophomore year this will leave them with the opportunity to test again as a junior and then a couple of times in their senior year, if it is necessary.

I am sure you are wondering why I have put so much emphasis on these test. It’s because it is almost the only variable that is looked at when your child applies for acceptance into a college. Many of the areas such as Engineering require a 27 on the ACT test to even be accepted into the engineering program.

Many parents and students think that their G.P.A. is the most important determination for scholarships but believe me when I tell you that if the potential student does not do well on SAT or ACT test then they will not recieve any money for scholarships. A 4.0 average in highschool with a score of 18-20 will get you into a state college where mom and dad better get ready to pay for all of juniors education.

Some of you parents are probably wondering if I am going to talk about financial aid. Yes, money is awarded on an as needed basis for studens whose parents are financially unable to send them to college.
And those grants are certainly worth applying for. They are based solely on the sallaries of parents and not based on weather you have saved any money for your child’s college. If you have a decent salary I suggest you start a savings account right now! The years will fly by and the cost of going to college is not going to get any cheaper.

The Hardest Part

The most difficult decision that you will want to assist your child with is the area of study that they choose.
At this point I strongly encourage you to listen to your child. If your child’s heart is not in it I promise you it will not work. Many students go to college undecided and declare their major after they get the basic classes behind them. If you have no idea what so ever what you want to do then this will at least let you proceed. Remember, ultimately it is the student who must be happy with their studies. Do not try to encourage your child to be a pharmicist or doctor if their heart is not in it. This will cost you in the long run because they will end up changing their major any number of times.

Choosing an area of study that will ultimately prepare them for a job really needs to be their decision and their commitment. Our job as parents is to support their decisions and encourage them to be the best, no matter what they choose.

In closing I wish you the best of luck! And I leave you with this advice: If making lots of money doing something that you hate is what you want for your child, then pressure them into the major of your choice. If happiness and contentment in life are your true goals then, advise your child to choose for themselves. Be sure to start early in preparation, both academically and financially, for you child’s college education.

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15
Nov 10

dramatic mishearing

this noon , when i was going to sleep, i caught a call from the leader of the office, telling me to take 2 cakes for him. i did as what he asked. when i gave them to him, he asked “how much?”. then the answer: “4 yuan”. but i was surprised by the following words, that is “thank you! you are so kind to pay for them. but i am ashamed for that. because as a teacher i should have treated you ! ” oh my god! i realized that he must mishear the “4 yuan” for “no yuan”! so dramatic mishearing! at last i had to pay for the cake! interesting!

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15
Nov 10

You Are Your Child’s Role Model?

As I write this article, I am going to discuss the behavior of your child when he or she becomes frustrated. This frustration can be because of a lost toy, not wanting to eat or anything else. I am going to tell you what you should do during this time and why you should do it. If you find that your child gets frustrated a lot, then I highly recommend you reading this article. Remember, as you are reading this article, no matter what you believe, you are the child’s role model. That child is looking up to you at all times, even during frustrated moments.

When a child is very frustrated and starts to lose their cool, the most important thing you will need to do in this case would be to stay calm. During this time, your child will be in a frustrated moment and have a problem that they do not know how to solve. If you start to lose your cool, then you will be in the same frustrated moment that you do not know how to solve.

Sure, the child may be going through a difficult problem and he or she does not know how to ask for what they want. You are out of control and you do not know how to calm down. If you would like to calm them down during that frustrating moment, you will need to be calm.

The faster you calm down, the quicker the child will be following your lead. You see, it’s all about modeling.

Children who grow up with parents that are calm will be more likely to know how to deal with frustrating moments However, for those children that go through life with parents who do not know how to deal with children who are frustrated and become frustrated themselves, the children will copy them.

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15
Nov 10

Warning – Bead Making Can Be Addictive

If you have discovered bead making like so many others recently, you know how addictive it can become. There are so many shape and color possibilities that it never gets boring. Time easily gets away from you when you are in full bead making mode. Since you are already addicted to this great hobby, I don’t think there is any harm in me telling you about making polymer clay beads. If you have not worked with polymer clay for your bead making before, you are in for a treat. Although polymer clay is not clay in the scientific sense, it does not contain any clay minerals, its texture and working properties are very similar to mineral clays. Polymer clay can easily be colored and worked with everyday household items such as a pasta machine. That makes it perfect for the bead making hobbyist.

If you are an experienced bead maker or a novice, it is a good idea to get some basic knowledge on how to use polymer clay before you begin making your beads. But don’t worry, this is a very user friendly material to work with. One of your best resources for learning the basics of polymer clay is of course the Internet. But your local library, book stores and craft stores should be stocked with a good number of how-to guides to get you started. While there you may be tempted to load up on all the specialized bead making tools. There are many handy devices available, but don’t feel as though they are a requirement for this hobby. One of the great things about polymer clay is that it is so easy to work with and works well with a number of regular household items. Just remember to keep a separate set of these items for clay making so you are not using them for food preparation as well.

So now that you have read up on the basics of polymer clay I am sure you are excited to learn how to make polymer clay beads. First, decide what colors you want to make. It helps if you know your end project as well. A necklace or bracelet? Or do you just want a big bowl full of colorful handmade beads? Take your translucent clay and blend it with your colored clays through a hand crank pasta machine to make custom colors. Color recipes are plentiful on the Internet. Now you are ready to start forming your beads. You can roll tubes with a toothpick in the middle to form the stringing hole or make free formed shapes by hand. The possibilities are limitless and totally up to you. Final step is the baking. The great thing about polymer clay is that no kiln is required. You can bake it right in your oven or toaster oven. Voila, your beads are ready for stringing or just admiring.

If you haven’t found out already you are sure to discover the addictiveness of bead making. Using a material like polymer clay only makes it easier and more fun. Before you know it you will have created one of a kind personal masterpieces with ease.

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14
Nov 10

Matchbox Car Model Number System

Matchbox die-cast cars have always been assigned a model number. While the system created early on worked well for some time, it eventually began to become very confusing. This article will briefly explain the numbering system and changes over the years.

Each year the cars would simply be numbered 1 through 75 on the package. The actual model number would be MB# (# is the model number). The model number did not change from one year to the next unless a change was made. For example, the very first Matchbox ever, was the Road Roller in 1953, or model MB1. When a change was made, like the new paint color in 1956, the model number was changed to MB1b. This change still makes sense as it is the same vehicle with a slight variation. It follows suit that the model number should also remain the same, but with a slight variation. This basic version of the system is extremely easy but it will get complicated quickly.

In 1967, the Road Roller mentioned above, was removed from the line of vehicles and replaced with a Mercedes Truck. What was the model number for the Mercedes? MB1e. By this time the Road Roller had undergone a few more changes and was currently at model number MB1d, which explains why the new number ended with an ‘e’. However, some wonder why it was continued to be an MB1. When the vehicle changed completely, should not the model number also? From the beginning, Matchbox decided to limit the number of models produced in a year to 75. (This was the case until 2008 when it was increased to 100 cars.) In order to keep the vehicle line to 75 model or numbers, that means that they had to reuse the numbers 1 through 75. While the logic here is understandable, it created confusion since one model number over the decades, ended up representing multiple vehicles that had nothing in common.

When Matchbox was sold by Lesney Products to Universal Toys in 1982, the numbering system was re-evaluated. The numbering system posed problems, especially from manufacturing perspective. Universal changed the numbering system so that when a new vehicle was added, a new number was added to the MB# list. (They were well past MB600 as of 2002.) However, they made this change on the manufacturing side only. The customers continue to see cars numbered 1-75 (or 100). Another reason that Universal adopted a new numbering system was the fact that cars where produced for five different regions of the world. These regions were the Americas, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia and the Rest of the World (aka ROW). The line of cars produced by each region was similar but naturally, there were many variances as well. This meant that even within one year’s production, there may have been up to five variations of any model number.

While the numbering system may only be of concern to collectors it has been updated to drastically reduce the possibility of variances among one model number. However, it still poses problems when collectors are seeking older vehicles since the model number they desire represents multiple vehicles. The year is very helpful in narrowing down to the specific vehicle in this situation, but be assured that some verification will be required when looking for a specific vehicle.

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14
Nov 10

The Basics of Food Party Planning

Food is usually at the center of every party. Without it, the party would not be the same. Think about it for a moment. You arrive at your friends house for an all night event of conversation, poker, games and fun, but there isn’t a morsel of food to be had. The host smiles and your stomach grumbles with displeasure. If this was to happen more than just your stomach would be grumbling. The party itself would turn sour and people would leave. To be considered a party, food must be present.

There are so many different types of parties I dare not mention them all. However, they all have one thing in common and that is the presence of food. When all the other major decisions concerning your party have been made, including the type, venue, budget and guest list, your food party planning must take place. The key is to take the other decisions into consideration and make the right choice of food.

The type of party can play a key role in deciding what type of food should be served. If you are having a pool party, then hamburgers and hot dogs should suffice, but if you are planning a more elegant affair, the bologna should be left in the refrigerator. The holidays are usually reserved for certain types of entrees, even so, there is no rule against adding a fine twist to the dinner menu. So if you are having problems deciding what types of food to prepare, look to the parties theme for answers.

Once your choice is made for the main dish everything else will get easier. You now can decide whether or not it will be served buffet style or be a more formal, sit-down dinner. The venue will play a key role in this decision. If you are having the party at a large hall, a buffet dinner would make much more sense. An at home affair could be served either way, but the type of party you plan on having should determine its presence.

The number of people you invite also plays a key role into the type of food you want to serve, because this is a matter of budget. Don’t over invite, if you can’t supply the food and beverages for everyone, you might as well stay at home. Make sure there is plenty for everyone, including yourself.

Now that you know what you will be eating, and where and for how many, you can now begin the preparations. Make sure you have everything you need at least the day before the party. Prepare as much as you can in advance. You don’t want to be spending too much time in the kitchen if it can be avoided. So do your prep work the day before or morning of and any baking at least a day earlier.

Food party planning is not a work of science. It should be done according to your means. It should be a taste testing experience and if possible, a way to show off your great new recipes. If you remember the golden rule about parties you should be fine no matter what you serve. Never, I repeat, never forget the food!

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14
Nov 10

Rare Coins – Coins Only Minted in 1922

The inside of a coin collection book will be different for every collector. Coin collections are diverse in nature since there are so many types of them to collect. Some people favor for a certain year that means something special to them. Other people simply like the designs of some and have their collection full of various pretty ones. Collections can range from a child collecting pennies to a couple collecting all the state quarters they can find. Most serious collectors are more interested in rare coins compilation.

A rare one is usually a coin that had a very low mintage. Mintage is how many of them were created altogether, and a low mintage means not very many were made. The less initial ones that were made the less likely it is to be able to find one after many years have passed. It’s even harder to find one in pristine condition. A prime example of a rare coin is one that was only minted in 1922, the high relief Peace dollar coin. These can be found at a low value but the history of them proves the rarity.

The Peace dollar was made to symbolize the change in the country after World War 1. Initially when they started to be minted in 1922 they had a high relief, which is the design protrusion on the coin. The high relief ones made it very hard to stack them so that same year the high relief version was discontinued. Because of their short lifespan, the amount of that were made is rather low. These can be found in good condition for as low at twenty dollars, which makes them a good and inexpensive choice for all kinds of collectors. At the very least it is a good conversation piece because of the story behind how it’s one of the few coins only minted in 1922, something not many people can say they have.

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14
Nov 10

Great Christmas Games You Can Play at the Dinner Table to Keep the Fun Flowing

Do you prepare Christmas dinner for everyone? If you are in charge of the gathering for Christmas dinner, you will want to organize a few fun games and activities besides the meal. After all, everyone will be sniffing around the kitchen looking for food if you don’t keep them entertained. Here are a few fun-loving ways to divert the crowd until the Christmas dinner is done.

Guess The Christmas Dinner

Here’s a simple game all your guests will love. Have everyone who did not work in the kitchen guess the Christmas dinner based on a smell test. By sniffing aromas in the air, players have to figure out the Christmas menu. Although it may be easy to guess whether you’re cooking roast beef or turkey, it’s harder to figure out what type of potatoes are being prepared. Are they baked potatoes or mashed with gravy? Do you smell squash or broccoli with cheese or both? The person who most closely guesses the foods being served for Christmas dinner is rewarded with a taste.

Get Board On Christmas

To avoid getting board, get board on Christmas – that is, get out your old board games. Find the most childlike board games you own and tote them out for Christmas fun. Have the grown men sit on the floor to play the games. Take a photo of the guys while they cluster around playing a round of Chutes and Ladders on the floor. An even better idea is to give the guys a princess dress-up game so you can laugh at the fathers and grandfathers wearing frills and tiaras. If you play princess games, make sure the camera is handy to capture those funny moments forever. You can even get the kids involved by having them play cards or Monopoly against the men.

Christmas Tablecloth Decorating

When the kids start to clamor around the table for asking food, divert their attention by having them decorate the tablecloth with Christmas designs. Leave your Aunt Harriet’s fine linens in the china closet and use a cheap, disposable tablecloth instead. You can even keep this doodling tablecloth every year to see the progression of the children’s artwork. Have the kids use permanent markers and date and sign their creations so you have the information in years to come.

Toss The Santa Hat

Take the party outside for awhile to play a exhilarating game of toss the Santa hat. Fill a Santa hat with candy and try to throw it around without the candy falling out. Another idea is a Santa hat relay. Everyone wears the Santa hat and hands it to the next player, who must put on the hat and do the same. If everyone enjoys throwing games, you can take it to the next level. Play football with a goal line made from old Christmas ribbon. Start a soccer game with a rolled up ball of discarded Christmas wrapping paper.

The Worst Christmas Presents

Discuss the best and worst presents you ever received for Christmas. Tell stories describing the coolest and most awful gifts you got. Just remember not to tell a story about the worst present in front of the person who gave it to you! Hold dessert hostage until everyone shares a story about their best or worst Christmas present.

Where Is Santa Now?

While you eat Christmas dinner, include a delightful activity to amuse the children. Play where is Santa now by using a Santa hat – after all, Santa must be back at the North Pole by now! Have someone pass the Santa hat to another person under the table while everyone tries to decide where it is. Whoever holds the Santa hat winks at someone else at the table. When a person gets winked at, they say “Santa go away!” and the hat is passed. The hat passing and winking goes on until someone guesses where Santa is.

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