So This Is Christmas

Merry Christmas is such an infectious feeling I like to feel that way all year around.

So if you are visiting just before Christmas, just after Christmas or even here on Christmas day I am sure you will find something of interest for you and in the spirit of Christmas.

It may be said that Christmas is no longer a celebration but this must be spoken by people that have never had trouble closing their eyes on Christmas Eve in an expectation of what maybe left for them on the carpet under the tree.

I continue to look forward to the surprise on my Grandchild's faces to this day at Christmas events.

Merry Christmas - Merry Christmas - Merry Christmas

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Family Reunion Ideas to connect the whole family

By Chris Kongsri

A family reunion is an occasion when many members of an extended family get together. Sometimes reunions are held regularly, for example on the same date of every year. Either family unions can be wonderful and exciting or they can be dull or boring. Family reunions are simply awesome because of the fact that they allow a person to catch up with those people whom the person has not seen for years. Family reunions are a great way to keep in touch with your extended family and teach your children about your family heritage. Here are some of the most feasible and stimulating family reunion ideas that all can enjoy.

The reunions that might be considered boring are those where nothing is really organized. There needs to be things to do and activities planned if everyone is going to have fun. Having some sort of family reunion activities in mind can really brighten up the occasion for all in attendance.

It is extremely important to plan for family reunion ideas because if they are not organized properly then this occasion can become very dull and boring. So try planning the activities in advance in order to make this event fun and scintillating. Having few of these activities will surely brighten up the event.

You don't have to just take the puzzle out and put it together; you can make the activity more fun by involving everyone and using some imagination. For example, you could send out a puzzle piece to every person or family who is attending the reunion. They then bring the piece with them to the reunion. As each family or person arrives at the party they fit their piece to the puzzle until finally the last piece is slotted in and the family photo is revealed, to the surprise of everyone!

The joys of having a family reunion is feeling closer while giving support. However, getting everyone involved is the essential purpose of reuniting the family. That said include your youth in the early planning stages of family reunion ideas and games.

One of the most popular and widely used activities in family reunions is the photo collage jigsaw puzzle. It's a great way of bringing the attendees together. You can easily order the photo puzzle on internet. They will design a puzzle that is unique and appealing and it will be delivered to you in a very short time. There are various shapes and sizes of the puzzle to choose from.

This photo jigsaw puzzle is itself like a family reunion as it brings every one together. Try to make this activity more exciting by involving more and more people. You can do this by sending every family member a piece of the puzzle and asking him to solve the puzzle. Once the puzzle is completed, everyone will be surprised and delighted to see the family photograph. It's not that the family reunions activities should always be expensive or out-of -the world, even a simple activity like this photo puzzle can bring a lot of fun and excitement to this event.

Therefore, you must consider this photo jigsaw puzzle as an activity in your next family reunion and see how this event turns out to be a "fun" event. Photo jigsaw puzzles are great ways to enhance a reunion, but the most important part of any family reunion of course is gathering. There is no wrong time to have a family reunion. If your family does not currently have a tradition of annual family reunions, one fantastic event can certainly start a longstanding tradition and strengthen family ties throughout the generations.

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Amazon Kindle VS Sony PRS Series Ereader?

By Sarah Brook

The eReaders are here to stay. The leading manufacturers producing even more advanced models and the popularity of the concept is on the rise.

With the Amazon Kindle 2 dominating the market and the Sony PRS series ereaders are coming close second, many are emailing me with the question: which one to choose?

While good things are being reported about Kindles and the Sony's, you should be aware of the differences that could influence your buying decision.

The Kindle is the reader of choice for many. The wide selection of titles, along with newspapers and magazines, makes it lucrative enough not to consider the alternatives. And I'm not even mentioning the wireless capabilities.

But, one should keep in mind the lack of native PDF support in the Amazon Kindle. With the conversion in between, many academic and business users should think twice before making this purchase.

Academic work, books, researches and reports are almost exclusively available in the PDF format. And unfortunately, Kindles conversion often makes these files unreadable because of alignment difficulties and other glitches.

On the other hand, Sony PRS series eReaders, offer native PDF support, making it the default for students and business oriented audience. Although users have sent in reports of steeper learning curves and USB connectivity limitation, making the experience different than with the Kindle.

But, that's where things line up. Students and business users would have a computer and an internet connection available to them anyway, due to their lifestyle.

So, to sum things up:

If you consume newspapers on daily basis and enjoy magazines, you will really like the Amazon Kindle that would deliver the paper every morning and make the magazines and the plethora of books Amazon carries available within seconds via the wireless connection.

However, if you know that you will consume mainly PDF files, the Sony eReaders is the choice for you. The native PDF functionality is worth it.

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Baby Bedding Sets - A Suffocation Hazard For Your Child?

By Bee Fraley

When you first bring home your baby, items like comforters, quilts and pillows aren't necessary.

You will also have to make a choice of whether to use a bumper in your baby's crib. There's mixed information available. Educate yourself and make a choice.

If you do decide that a bumper will protect your child, go with a thinner design. Thick, fluffy bumpers are much more of a suffocation hazard than these thinner ones.

To avoid suffocation, all your baby really needs in the first 12 months is a sheet, mattress, and a crib skirt for aesthetics. Avoid anything fluffy and heavy in your baby's crib.

The idea of having your baby in a crib with just a sheet, makes you probably wonder if your baby will be warm enough. For the cooler seasons consider wrapping your baby tightly in an organic blanket or sleep sac. This will prevent suffocation while keeping your baby warm and comfortable.

While your baby isn't using the comforter or quilt that came with your baby bedding set at first, you can use it to accessorize your nursery design.

They can complement your nursery's theme and can be hung on the wall or a quilt rack. You might also hang them over the crib's rail when your baby isn't inside the crib.

It's also a good idea to purchase a complete baby bedding set, if you are planning on using it throughout your child's toddler years as well. It would be difficult finding the matching pieces at a later time.

On the other hand, if you want to keep it simple in the beginning and buy only the necessary bedding items, you can later freshen up the nursery design with a toddler bedding set.

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Decorating Tips For A Home Library

By Catherine Hilson

If you have an older home that has a library room or you are one of those fortunate people who may have a mansion with its own library, here are some tips for decorating this stately room. A library can be a beautiful part of any home when decorated to accent all the best features.

If your library features big picture windows then you can use this area to place your tables and chairs for reading. Make the sitting arrangements even more comfortable when you place overstuffed chairs or a chaise lounge at the window. You will also need some small coffee tables for tea and coffee while you are reading a book. In the winter time you can place the tables and chairs by the fireplace to enjoy a nice warm fire while you are intrigued by the latest book.

Most older home libraries contain built in bookshelves. This is your time to reorganize your book collection by subject. Place a knick knack or vase in between each subject of books so you will know when it ends and another subject begins.

For an example, if you have books on travel then you can add a small miniature sized globe at the end of the shelf. If you traveled to Italy and you have a copy of Gondola that would be an excellent way to end the subject on Italy. You can place animals at the subject of animals and so on.

You may also want to consider adding an antique desk somewhere in the room. The old fashioned roll top desk would be ideal if you can find one. You can restore it to make it look new again. This would give your library a sophisticated look with class.

Area rugs are the perfect accessory for any library space. Rugs offer comfort and style to the space. Choose a rug with contrasting colors or a mixture of colors from the entire room. Paisley looking rugs or rugs that are made like tapestries would also be an excellent touch. Maybe even a rug custom made to hold the family crest and placed in the center of the room would be a wonderful addition.

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Oil Testing for Free

By Michael Kafuman

It is best to rely on oil analysis to establish your oil change interval. Of course, on many smaller vehicles that need only 4-6 quarts of motor oil, the cost of the oil analysis is nearly as costly as a complete oil change.

Of course, the result is that most folks won't pay for a "true" oil analysis - but they might be willing to perform their own "oil analysis", if they knew how it could be done. It won't give you readings as accurate and precise as results from a lab, but it can give you enough information to determine whether you should be changing your oil or not (as long as you don't push things too far).

As you read this article you'll find detailed instructions for 1 of 6 DIY oil analysis tests which you can utilize to establish the condition of your oil and whether it is time to drain it. In this way you can begin to set realistic oil change intervals for your vehicle.

You might also want to consider learning a bit more regarding motor oil and filtration in general. Quite alot of information can be gleaned from the following sites.

- The Motor Oil Bible - Over 150 pages of motor oil information

- The Motor Oil Evaluator -

- A Motor Oil Forum for discussion of motor oils

The Business Card Test

This test reveals oxidation products, sludge formation, dispersancy failure, glycol contamination, water contamination, fuel dilution, and high levels of particles.

While your oil is WARM (not HOT), yank the oil level dipstick and place a single drop of oil on a heavy, white, NON-glossy business card. Put your white paper/card in a location where it sits suspended and horizontal and in such a way that the oil drop area will be touching nothing - on the top OR bottom of the card. As an example, if you're using stiff card stock or a stiff business card (which you really should be) you could set it across the top of a glass.

You want to be certain that the drop dries completely before trying to consider the condition of the spot. Once all of the oil has been drawn into the pores of the paper you can begin evaluating whether or not you should continue without an oil change.

- A colorless circle or somewhat yellowish outer ring = "good" oil.

- A dense, dark deposit zone = Dispersant additive failure

- A black, pasty area = Anti-freeze in your engine oil

- Center of circle dark with distinct outside ring = Severely oxidized oil

- A dark center with surrounding rings = Fuel in oil, Fuel dilution

Information for this business card test in: Fitch, J.C., "The Lubrication Field Test and Inspection Guide", Noria Corporation 2000

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