Greeting Your HusbandIt's nearing 5:00 PM and your husband should be cominghome from work soon. You can't wait to dump your dailynews on him, and converse with someone who knows morethan two syllables. STOP. Slow down and re-think how youplan on greeting your husband. He may have had a roughday and we shouldn't underestimate the influence our greetinghas on him! What we as wives want, is for our husbands toenjoy coming home. To enjoy BEING home.There are some vital things we can do. We can create anatmosphere in which our beloved spouse will look forward toseeing our faces, and sharing with us at the end of each andevery work day.1. Try to quit projects around the time he will be coming home.This will free you up to greet him at the door with a welcominghug and kiss.2. Clear household clutter as much as possible, and minimizethe noise. This will encourage him to sit down with you and talk,instead of trying to yell over the stereo or make his way throughall the toys to find the shower.3. Look good. Freshen up your makeup and fix your hair up a little.We may stay home all day, but that doesn't mean we have to looklike we just woke up. Show him how proud he can feel to have youfor his wife.4. Try to have a meal cooking. Hey, he's starving and dinner is agreat way to allow him to unwind and relax with you.5. Last, but not least - listen. His job may not excite you, but it'simportant to him. And if you listen to all the stats and figures of hisday, it will show him you can listen to deeper cares and concerns.We all have the power to create homes that our husbands love andwant to run to - not away from. It may not be possible to do thesethings every single day, but if you try, I think you'll find the experiencewill be richer for both of you.~Dionna Sanchez is Editor of Emphasis On Moms. Emphasis helpsmom feel good about who they are and what their role in the home is.It's all about encouragement! Visit the website athttp://www.EmphasisOnMoms.com/[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Save Money on Fresh Food Without Gardening
SAVE MONEY ON FRESH FOOD WITHOUT GARDENING.By Roxanna WardWouldn't it be ideal if we could all grow our own food. Not onlywould you know just what went into creating those great tasting greenbeans, they'd cost you less too. But not everybody has the privilegeof plenty of land to grow their own food on. Gardening also takestime and energy. Your favorite fruit may not grow well in yourarea. I could go on and on listing reasons people have chosen topurchase their food rather than grow it themselves. The fact remainsthat more people buy their watermelon at the grocery store than walkinto the backyard and pick one.The grocery store is not the only place to pick up fresh produce andfruits. Many times it can be the most expensive place to purchasesuch items. You have to be creative and use your imagination to findthe best deals. Keep your eyes open, and you'll be amazed at thepossibilities to save money that you have passed by.Do you have friends or family members that have a garden? Ask if youcan help in their garden for a little of the harvest. Maybe theyneed a babysitter for Friday night instead. You'll never know unlessyou ask.Check your local orchards for "you pick" days. Many have days whenyou can come and pick all you can for a set price. Or fill thisbasket for a low fee. Local farmers may do the same when they havean abundance at harvest time.Some grocery stores sell their "seconds" for next to nothing. Ourlocal Kroger will give you the fruit on the toss it day for free.Bruised and almost no good fruits make great jellys and jams. Don'tthink that just because it is a little rough around the edges, theentire fruit or vegetable is bad. And if it is free, it is certainlyworthy using some how.Your corner fruit stand my offer food for less. But be careful, manyof these are higher than grocery stores on some items.Once you get your hands on some inexpensive fresh food, make sure youdon't let it go to waste. Can it, freeze it or dry it. Just makesure you use it or your time spent finding it will be wasted. Whenyou waste time no matter how great the bargain, you've lost somethingyou can't get back.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Roxanna Ward, Community leader and staff writer forhttp://www.BabyUniversity.com, lives in Georgia with her husband andher three children. As a published freelance writer the focus of herwriting is concentrated on sharing household tips, her experiencewith her frugal lifestyle as well as the phenomenal process ofbreastfeeding, child rearing related issues and romanticrelationships. She is also currently the Editor of three newsletters:What's New at BabyU?, Intimate Encounters and At Home with BabyUniversity. Roxanna can be contacted at Roxanna30135@...
Children Can Learn With Classic Toys
Have we lost our children in a hypnotic video game trance? Have they become "drones" to the "video age"?
Sometimes it may seem that way as many children spend hour upon hour in front of a video screen, pressing buttons or jockeying around a joystick. But it is up to the parents of children to say enough, let's find some educational alternatives. However, it wasn't that long ago when we were kids�.we had real toys�.classic toys.
Let's step into a time tunnel of sorts and recall some of the fascinating classic toys that we had the pleasure of playing with:
Tinker Toys
Ahh..Tinker Toys..rods, sticks, spools, spokes..simple, but a true classic toy invented in 1914 by Charles Pajeau, who was a stonemason by trade from Evanston, Illinois. He was inspired by children playing with pencils, sticks and empty spools of thread to create his new toy. He saw them improvising and using their imaginations and wondered if he could improve upon what they were doing. He designed his first set of Tinker Toys in his garage and displayed them in 1914 at the American Toy Fair.
Alas, his Tinker Toys drew no interest. So he tried again, this time at Christmas time, but with a new marketing plan. Pajeau hired several midgets and had them dress in elf costumes. He then had them "play" with the Tinker Toys" in a store display window in a Chicago department store and with this publicity a new classic toy was born. After a year or so, over one million sets of Tinker Toys had been sold!
Lincoln Logs
Notched redwood logs that could be used to construct log cabins, Lincoln Logs were the invention of John Lloyd Wright, son of famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. The inter locking logs, invented in 1916, were fashioned after the foundation of Tokyo's earthquake-proof Imperial Hotel, which the younger Wright witnessed being constructed.
During the World War I era, it was in vogue to encourage American patriotism and for American's to buy American made products, thus the new toy was named after one of our most revered presidents, Abraham Lincoln.
The original sets sold very well and became even more popular with the introduction of television to the United States. In fact, Lincoln Logs were among the first toys to be advertised and promoted on television. Capitalizing on the popularity of westerns in early television, Lincoln Logs were successfully promoted on 1953's Pioneer Playhouse.
Today, Lincoln Logs are still available and have stood the test of time. As a matter of fact, as late as 1975, Lincoln Logs were still selling at a rate of one million sets per year. A sophisticated classic wooden toy, it challenges youngsters to use their imagination and improve hand-eye coordination skills.
It is imparative for parents to keep their children's imagination alive and active and with these vinatge toys still readily available, many hours of fun and adventure are waiting for children all over the world.
------
Robert Benson has written articles on many subjects and operates two web sites. Learn about the hobby of vinyl record collecting or shop for your classic toys at his online shopping site:
http://www.collectingvinylrecords.com
http://www.ezshoppinghere.com
