Wednesday, October 22, 2008
While leafing through the pages of Blogcatalog community, I just stopped by a little home. I refer it as home because that's the first word which pops on my mind as I take a look at the blog. It is maintained by Julia, hailing from human resources industry. However, she takes pride in her occupation of being a mom (Chief cook and bottle washer) as she defines it :D
Midwest Moms is all about sketching the life of Julia as a mom and assembling her daily tit bits in form of an online scrapbook. Her blog covers almost everything about her daily life..ranging from her cooking experience to caterpillar hunting with her kiddos. I must say that the handiworks of caterpillars posts at one of her posts is just too much adorable :)
As I took a look at the right panel, I figured out that Julia boasts of her presence in social medias like Blogcatalog, Technorati and the like...even I'm an ardent visitor of these community websites where you ge to meet someone like yourself.
As the blogger rejuvenates with pride for achieving her blog awards and also pens down her worries on national economy and its effects on household units. As I kept browsing through the posts, it occurred to me as if I'm reading something very much familiar to my own. The warmth and homeliness as portrayed in the blog make it look like a mom's blog itself.
Friday, October 3, 2008
A good number of parents believe that kids should preferably abstain from spending money in all accounts. And I believe they do have a point. Once you are habituated with spending money to fulfill your small desires, you urge for more. While adults are mature enough to understand, the kids get puzzled and sometimes go overboard to get money at any cost. But if the matter is handled with a little more caution, kids can be educated with the usage of money and learn to spend it wisely in later years.
Cute Rewards:
It can also be thought on whether allowances should be conditioned on performing chores, there’s value in doing work and being rewarded for it and it's good training for getting a job. A child should be required to contribute time and effort to help with the family work load. This process shouldn’t be continued endlessly as a child may take this to be an easy way of earning few quick bucks. A child may think that all jobs around the house should be monetarily compensated can cause endless friction on the home front.
Realizing small Goals:
Nothing really motivates a child in saving money like a wish list. A wish list is a way of putting down financial goals on paper and this would motivate your child in saving more for acquiring something really valuable. Your child can learn to become a more determined saver by deciding what they are saving for.
Length of time:
Review your child's allowance once a year to keep it in line with changing needs and costs. Gradually give your child a larger allowance and a freer rein on spending. The early teens are a good time to switch from a weekly allowance to a monthly one so your child will learn to budget money over longer periods of time. You should gradually increase the allowance to cover most, or all, of the clothing costs and entertainment expenses. In that way, your child learns to handle money in a more sensible way and you wouldn’t have to worry about its frivolous usage.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Simple in design, the blog is devoid of ostentatious ornamentations. The posts are made in random with some flakes of wacky widgets. The widgets reflects whims and fancies of Melissa, the blogger herself. The posts are based on varied experiences of Melissa in her life's journey. One of the most interesting was the one where she captures several moods of sky and its depicts its beauty with finest detail. Candy bars is yet another interesting post where she draws a simile between a candy bar and persona of a human being. I took out the quiz and the result was "Three Musketeers" one. That was quite a chill pill :D The blogger boasts of her presence in social networks which simply speaks of her web presence. Though I'm not typically a twitter fan, I find time to leaf pages of Facebook occasionally.
In a way, visiting the blog of Melissa was a great experience. The warmth and and easy going nature of the blog makes you feel at home. For me it was more like a visit to the home of my neighbor...a visit to the home of a mom just like myself.
Q: What did the math teacher have for fun?
A: Pi!
Q: why did the music teacher get locked in the room?
A: His keys were in piano
Q: Why the teacher was cross eyed?
A: she didn't know how to control her pupils.
Q:Why did the teacher wear sunglasses to school?
A: She had bright students.
Q: Where do pencils go to school?
A: Pencil-vania
A new teacher is trying to make use of her Psychology courses. She starts her class by saying, "Everyone who thinks you're stupid, stand up."
After a few seconds, little Johnny stood up. The teacher said, "Do you think you're stupid, Johnny?"
"No, ma'am," he says, but I hate to see you standing there all by yourself."
A few more...
Q: What did one pencil say to another ?
A: You look very sharp today
Teacher: Mark, make a sentence starting with the letter 'I'.
Mark: I is...
Teacher: No, no, no, don't say "I is", you say "I am".
Mark: OK, I am the ninth letter of the alphabet.
Teacher: Johnny, you know you can't sleep in my class.
Johnny: I know. But maybe if you were just a little quieter, I could
An English teacher asked her class to write an essay on what they'd do if they had a million dollars. Alec handed in a blank sheet of paper. "Alex!" yelled the teacher, "you've done nothing. Why?"
"Because if I had a million dollars, that's exactly what I would do!
Teacher: Now, children, if I saw a man beating a donkey and stopped him, what virtue would I be showing?
Student: Brotherly love.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
And just like me my kiddos too are choosy ‘bout the card the like to send to their buddies. I guess the online ecards have largely resolved the issue. The ecards did exist even ten years back, but over a span of time they have manifested like anything. Today, as I browse through an ecard site I find the ecards quite similar to a mini video game or a cartoon show with a lot more interactivity. Ecards are quite popular with kiddos due to their cute designs and adorable messages. What’s more, the look and theme of the card could be customized keeping in mind the likes and dislikes of the recipient. The ecards meant for kids offer more interactivity and sometimes involve playing a small balloon game or adorning a clown. Again if you want to shower your child with the touch of your affection, you may very well upload his snap from you computer and send it as an ecard on his birthday.
It’s true enough that the craze of an ecard is not as much as it was years back. With the advent of social networks, teens and even tweens are busy opening respective profiles and exchanging “Hi-notes” through occasional comments and scraps. But for some folks, an ecard carries with itself a certain charisma that enthralls toddlers. To be at par with our fast paced lives Ecards are now even available on mobiles. Mobiles equipped with GPRS and WAP technology are capable of sending ecards just as a simple text message and deliver it in the palm of your loved one. Once you wish to pamper your child with a token of love, just grab you cell phone, select the best ecard for him and you emotion is just ten digits away!
Monday, September 15, 2008
But why do they love them so?
According to some studies it would appear that the excitement of video games causes the brain to release a chemical that is, in essence, addictive. For any parent who has seen the fervor by which some kids play video games, this news is hardly surprising to them.
What makes these games so addictive?
They are very compelling with increasing complexity, so a child becomes more facile, yet wants to know more and apply new skills while wanting to improve their game is not a problem in itself. Some say it offers some real opportunities for puzzle solving, strategic and critical thinking and its also very important that video and computer games are played in moderation. From the humor of pre-school games, to the realistic violence of some teen games, the video game culture often relies on violence for entertainment and for good reason violence is inherently attention grabbing for most people. Some have the opinion if you want to get the attention of video gamers you have to keep them energized, you have to keep them attracted and attending to the stimuli, video and computer games can have the most profound influence on the behavior of children, simply because children retain a lot more information if they learn actively, rather than passively.
Another great advantage is that many of these games are educational games for kids. Children learn eye hand coordination and mental strategy. Some are even educational and they can learn about history and culture as in “age of the empires”.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
But I still made time and took a peek. Though its not quite different from rest of the Hollywood animation stuffs, it is worth the time. Space Chimps is yet another work of fiction produced by Vanguard Animation in collaboration with 20thcentury Fox and Starz Animation. The story begins when a billion dollar NASA probe looses its direction and gets trapped in a wormhole between two galaxies.The researchers then go to the extent of hiring Ham III who happen to be the grandson of Ham, the first Chimpanzee sent in space. However, ham III and his two crew members end up landing upon a strange planet and have a roller-coaster journey of adventure.
Made in the style of ludicrous it is a complete entertainer for young and adults a like. The movie depicts in details the intricacies of characters, not to forget the amusing mannerisms of the Ham and his crew mates. The presentation style is unique and above all the movie depicts originality and does not in any way pose out to be a replica of its previous counterparts.
Monday, September 8, 2008
As we step inside the kingdom of kids toys, one can’t tend to overlook enigma of the Barbie doll. Barbie has been an important part of the toy fashion doll market for over fifty years, and has been the subject of numerous controversies and lawsuits often involving parody of the doll and her lifestyle.
At that time, most children's toy dolls were representations of infants. Realizing that there could be a gap in the market, The Lilli doll was first sold in Germany in 1955, it became popular with children who enjoyed dressing her up in outfits that were available separately.
Mattel's newest plastic creation, Black Canary Barbie, is raising a few eyebrows. She's dressed in a biker jacket, black boots and fishnets. This Barbie, with heavy makeup and long blond hair, was modeled in the likeness of DC Comic Super Hero Black Canary.
DC Comics super heroine Black Canary is known for her martial-arts skills and her "Canary Cry" — a high powered, sonic scream with the ability to shatter objects and incapacitate villains. Barbie doll captures this super heroine's essence, wearing her signature black "leather" bodysuit and jacket, patterned tights, and black boots with "golden" details. Long honey blond hair with bangs and black gloves with "golden" details complete the look.
The Black Canary Barbie doll “kicks” into action, wearing costume of faux leather black jacket, signature fishnet stockings and striking faux leather boots with “metallic” accents. A mane of blond hair and deep crimson lips give the doll a dramatic look, as do the dark brows framing azure blue eyes, outlined by vivid ebony lashes.
This ravishing and gorgeous Barbie is priced at $40.00 and is awaited to hit the markets in coming October 2008
Saturday, September 6, 2008
It's as much fun for adults to give toys as is it for children to receive them - especially when you can relive part of your own childhood by giving your kids’ gifts that you enjoyed while you were growing up. For the best ideas simply walk into your largest kids’ gift store and ask what's selling for your age group.
There are many interesting concepts of personalized kids’ gifts such as t-shirts and sweatshirts, tops and skirts, photo frames and albums, memory keepers, slumber bags, play houses, wooden art boxes, ID
bracelets, dolls, chef sets, or cooking kits.Favored gift articles for girls are colored candles, cards, decorative articles, or musical jewelry. While boys love to have personalized coin banks, CDs, cups, glasses, and other mementos.
Perhaps because I recall spending hours and hours playing this classic word game with my family, I love giving Scrabble boards as Christmas gifts. Boys and girls both love the game as it’s both fun and educational. Jigsaw puzzles make perfect kids’ gifts for children of all ages. Personalized kid's gifts make fantastic presents to celebrate a child's special occasion. There are The Internet is an excellent place to search for a perfect personalized children's gift. There are a number of websites that feature gift items. They provide detailed information on different personalized kids’ gifts that are ideal for children.
Do you want to give gifts that will be remembered for years to come? But how do you create those children's memories? The gift that is remembered is the message of love from the adult. Spending time is the best gift. Remember the final step for gifting is the wrapping so spend as much time on the wrapping as you did on buying the gift.
Kids never run out of energy. So make sure they don’t run out of things to do. It's always a delight to buy kids gifts. Invariably, the experience brings me back to my own childhood, and I fondly remember the thrill and wonderment of seeing beautifully wrapped gifts and discovering the surprises that lay beneath the wrapping.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
We adorn our lives in a way we want to and our choice of accessories is greatly influenced by our perspectives toward life. The perspective of each individual varies from the other greatly. It varies on their culture, standard of living, mindset and also on age. To a five year old kid, life is very much like a fairy tale land very much similar to those mentioned in their books. As they grow up, the wonderland takes the look of an urban city where he builds pedestals of his dreams. The attitude of different individuals get reflected in everything they do. Our bedrooms are no exception to this. We adorn our living rooms as per our whims and give them the appearance of our brainchild. In a similar way, a kid's bedroom should also be an extension of his persona and must be festooned as per his taste and preferences.
To start off, the front wall of the bed should be painted with bright colors like yellow or lavender depending on the preference of your child. You could also paint pictures of your child's favorite cartoon character or posterize it with picture of your child's favorite super hero. Painting the room with energetic colors like bright green or orange would rejuvenate your child every time they feel low and spice up their mood. Again, some parents prefer box beds which would provide enough spaces to keep blankets and pillows. It could also serve as a place to put your kid's toys and games CDs. Again, some child would prefer heir bedroom decorated in an enigmatic style as found in pictures of their books. I've personally known a lot many kids who have a preference for Victorian style and fashion. A little touch of histrionics would make your traditional child go crazy! Custom twin beds are available for twin babies which makes it a special kind of bedding fashion. It is just one of its own kind and are tailor make for twins. While you arrange for your kids bed, make it doubly sure that the same is not too far from the ground as beds situated high up make it difficult for kids and are more susceptible to accidents. A kids bedroom reflects his persona. His likings, taste and preferences contribute a lot in giving shape to its looks and features. A kid's bed should be ideally located near the window pane of the room so as to get a clear glimpse of the outside garden while your child awakes.
Last but never the least, the living room of your child should be small enough so as to give it a cozy feeling that a child yearns for. It should ideally be a small world to the kid.. not too big for his persona.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
I remember when I was a kid; I would collect various kinds of books of poems. My white and pink striped study table was placed in the corner of the room and I would sit up on the chair and look outside and see people walking up and down the street covered in brightly colored clothes and my friend Thomas, jumping up and down just below my window screaming my name – so we could go and play in the snow. At night, I would open my diary and write my first lines of poetry inspired by my readings and the day’s activities.
I still think poetry was one of the reasons why I decided to become a teacher- the love of language, the depth of words and the power to affect others through simple words. The poems can be interesting and a child’s reading can be influenced by factors like:
• time of the year
• interest
To create an interest in poetry is essential to encourage a child to learn and understand the simplicity of life. It is essential for the adult whether parents or teachers to help a kid understand the language, the emotions associated with it so as to enjoy poetry.
Of course there will always be kids who don’t like reading; audio books are a great way to get those kids to listen to poetry. Audio books (also available in bilingual format) enhance the reading experience in a great way. You can even play a CD of poems while kids get ready to go to bed, by doing so they not only learn poems in a relaxed ambiance but also capture a child’s imagination. If your child seems to best remember by hearing poems, this might turn into a great resource for parents. Most children would be attracted by funny poems and is a wonderful tool in developing children's language, reading and writing.
Personalized CD of poems is a great gift for parents, family and friends to give to a child. They also come in attractive packaging as to capture everyone’s attention including the child’s.
Monday, September 1, 2008
The idea of custom music CDs has always fascinated me. As a kindergarten teacher, I've noticed kids behave in schools differently than at home. The entirely ambiance of a school makes them wonder, thoughtful and curious. On the other hand, the cozy corner of the bedroom is a kind of comfort where they don't really wish to recollect anything about their kindergarten classes. kids don't remember half of the stuffs taught at schools as they reach home.
In my personal opinion, one of the bets ways to make kids learn their lessons is music CDs. With nursery rhymes recorded in it, they are a great way to familiarize your child with the school and help them connect to their lessons.
Most companies have come up with custom music CDs that are designed to blend with the likes and dislikes of your little one and help them grasp their lessons in a better way.
In a nutshell, CDs are made to help your child get accustomed to their lessons fast and that too in a way that they literally enjoy. If you wish to pamper your child with a music CD, get going with the fashionable the online stores and retail outlets and make your child humming all the way.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
As we look back, those years seem to be a distant dream which had long been interrupted by the practicalities of adulthood.
But being a kid is never easy. Contrary to the popular perception, a kid's life is never a fairy tale... it is one of the earliest periods in a man's life when he responds to his surroundings. A kid stumbles upon everything that comes on his way…and gradually learns. The learning process actually develops his personality and as they grow up, it gets reflected in their behavior and attitude.
I've spent years observing the way a kid morphs into a more matured human and gradually develops a personality of his own. And I must admit that the environment and his surroundings have a role to play in deciding his nature, attitude and thought process.
When I say surroundings it includes anything and everything the child is connected to. His parents, teachers, friends who are very much like his own, and also the games and other accessories that are a part of his daily life. Instances are not rare when we want to entertain the little ones and end up gifting toys which do not benefit them in any way. Gifting a puzzle would further reinforce his creativity as opposed to a skeleton doll that would scare him away. A parent must step into the shoes of his child so as to perceive if a particular piece of toy is at all beneficial to him.
In a similar note, playing the right kind of music too is an important part of a child's upbringing. A good number of experts opine that playing personalized kid’s music with repeated use of the child's name actually helps a child in identifying himself with it. In this way, there are plenty of gadgets, games, toys and other stuffs that are designed to blend with a kid's persona and groom a kid to adulthood. In my up coming posts, I would come up with more such stuffs that would entertain your kids and manifest their moves…
That's what this blog is all about, it is about the toys, cloths, gifts, accessories and everything that would fit into the cradle of your child... about everything that fits into a kid's cradle. So just stay tuned and check out for more of kids stuffs and up coming kids fashion accessories…till then…
