Monday, September 8, 2008

Humor For Women Buying Christmas Presents

Writen by Laura Browne

My daughter loves to spend money – my money. When it comes to her money, she's a real miser. This is very apparent around holiday time. When she sees ads for new and exciting gifts (read expensive), she wants me to buy them as Christmas presents for her friends and family members (including her, of course).

This year I told her she was responsible for buying all the gifts for her family and friends. She looked at me blankly. The National Bank Of Mom had unexpectedly shut down.

I did give her some money for shopping, but I told her that if she wanted to spend anything over that, she'd have to use money she'd saved up from her allowance. It was amazing to see the transformation from spender to bargain hunter. Suddenly a trip to the Dollar Store wasn't boring, it was a great idea.

She did complain about how hard it was to stay within the budget so I told her to be creative. When I was young we made gifts for our family. (I know, I know, no kid wants to hear about what happened when their parents were growing up unless it's really embarrassing and they can make fun of you.)

My daughter was mildly interested until I told her that one year we made closet sachets out of oranges and cloves. They were fun to make and smelled great. As I talked, the look on my daughter's face told me that she obviously thought that my body had been taken over by aliens, very uncool aliens apparently. How could I even consider something like that?

So I suggested other gifts she could make:

No Whining Day Certificate. I know it might be easier to find a unicorn in my backyard, but I have high hopes that she can actually go a whole day without complaining.

Grandparent Fun Day Certificate. A day where she invites her grandparents to do something that they would like to do (I would even pay for this). This certificate also includes a No Whining clause, so she can't complain when they suggest that they'd like to go to a museum. Who know, she might even enjoy it.

25 Reasons Why I Love You List. This won't cost anything but it could be my favorite gift. It would be great to have my daughter tell me why she loves me. (Of course, she does tell me that she loves me, but sometimes she says it right before she confesses that she did something I'm going to be really mad about.) It would also be nice to have some written proof that she loves me on the days when she's sulky and the only people she'll speak to are on the other end of a cell phone.

Actually I think that's a great idea. Instead of going to the stores today, I'm going to start to write I Love You lists to give to my family members. I hope you will too. Happy Holidays!

Laura Browne is the author of a practical & fun-to-read book for women, Why Can't You Communicate Like Me? How Smart Women Get Results At Work. To register for her Free Teleconference on How To Deal With Difficult People, go to http://www.inyourfaceink.com (This book is available at the website and at Barnes & Noble online.)

When Laura isn't writing, she helps women be more successful through WOMEN Unlimited, a nationally recognized resource for cultivating leadership excellence, http://www.women-unlimited.com

(This article was originally printed in The Point North Magazine.)

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Want To Know Jesus Christs Easter Thoughts At The Time Of Crucifixion

Writen by Kacy Carr

Easter thoughts: What ever was the son of God thinking at the time of his crucifixion?

Easter is a time where we celebrate to commemorate the resurrection of our lord Jesus Christ. People all over the world of different cultures celebrate this miraculous rising. The season of spring is a time for new beginnings - new life. Nature`s beauty bounces back with lush jade privets - leafy trees in forty shades of green and flowers in full bloom. What with the lord Jesus Christ and new plant growth then who are we to disbelieve in the fact that there is life after death.

Easter thoughts: What ever was the son of God thinking at the time of his crucifixion?

Remember the lord by rejoicing - make this Easter extra special by sending close friends and family a Happy Card personalized with your own Easter thoughts put into words. Remember Easter is a time for forgiveness.

Remember the lord by baking a cake - pipe cream an Easter thought onto the sweet confection. Light 12 candles. You can donate this offering to the local chapel as a way of thanking Jesus Christ for coming back to watch over us. Remember Easter is a time for forgiveness.

Easter thoughts: What ever was the son of God thinking at the time of his crucifixion?

Remember the lord by throwing a dinner party - ask each guest to bring along a candle. Have the guests light the candle just as you are about to say grace thanking the lord for what you are about to receive. Remember Easter is a time for forgiveness.

Remember the lord with a prayer gathering among friends and family to let Jesus Christ know that he is in your thoughts at Easter. Remember Easter is a time for forgiveness.

Remember the lord by the giving of goodwill gestures. Easter time does not change situations in famine stricken countries nor for the abused child. Killings still continue with acts of terrorism which is a major concern spreading like an epidemic among loyalists. You can help by including these unfortunate people in the way of a donation as your Easter goodwill gesture - a couple of coppers to the campaign charities involved with fighting a good cause for peace can make a lot of difference to the starving and the abused.

We all feel saddened by Jesus Christ and his tortured passing but you can not turn back the clock. What is that true saying? you can not put a good man down and how very true are those words that were spoken.

Easter thoughts: What ever was the son of God thinking at the time of his crucifixion?

Forgive them for they know not what they do.

Peace and tranquility is all the lord ever wanted. Another way of finding this is by yoga practice. http://www.want2yoga.com

Easter gifts for babies ==>http://www.little-babyonline.com

Mothers Day Gift Basket Ideas

Writen by Rachel Paxton

Mother's Day baskets are a great way to show off your creative talents while also showing your mom, mother-in-law, grandma, or another special mom how much you care.

I've put together some theme ideas to get you started. I've included several easy recipes, and also some links to give you some more ideas and to help you put it all together.

Most of these ideas you can make yourself from the following recipes. I've never made biscotti before, but there's a great hazelnut biscotti recipe included that I think I'm going to try when I make my Mother's Day baskets this year. Have fun! Your mom will be so impressed.

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Garden Basket:

Garden seeds, gardening tools, gardening gloves, peat pots, kneeling pad, iced tea mix.

Coffee Basket:

Chocolate-covered coffee spoons, coffee syrups, chocolate-dipped pretzels, biscotti, flavored coffees, instant cappuccinos.

Tea Basket:

Herbal and fruit teas, flavored honeys, tea bread, tea infuser, tea cups, inspirational book.

Bath Basket:

Bath salts, massage oil, natural soaps, bath powder, bath sponge, hand towel, massage roller, fragrant candle.

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Chocolate Covered Pretzels:

Pretzel rings
Wax paper
1 (16-oz.) bag semisweet chocolate chips

Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl, stopping every 15 seconds to stir the chocolate. Dip each pretzel, one at a time, into the melted chocolate. Lay the pretzels on wax paper and let cool.

Chocolate Covered Spoons:

20-24 plastic spoons
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Wax paper

Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl, stopping every 15 seconds to stir the chocolate. Dip spoons into chocolate. Place spoons on wax paper and refrigerate until chocolate hardens. Wrap each spoon separately and store in a cool dry place.

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Tea Bread Recipes: http://www.oldfashionedliving.com/teabreads.html

20+ Biscotti Recipes: http://www.allrecipes.com/directory/2641.asp

Flavored Coffee Mixes: http://members.tripod.com/~MaryMae/jarlinks.htm

Make Massage Oil, Bath Salts: http://www.dewcosmetics.com/recipes.html

Putting the Basket Together: http://www.hercraftideas.com/crafts/baskets/a-basket01_gift-basket.shtml

Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of What's for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick easy dinner ideas. For recipes, tips to organize your home, home decorating, crafts, holiday hints, and more, visit Creative Homemaking at http://www.creativehomemaking.com