Helping You To Help Your Child Learn Through Play
by Ivana Katz
Play is an important part of childhood.
It is also a hugely necessary part of childhood.
It is important for all those ‘e’ adjectives that spring immediately to mind. Your child finds playing exciting, enjoyable, entertaining, even exhilarating… For these reasons alone, playing with your child and providing play opportunities for your child (slightly different concepts!) are essential parts of your role as a parent, relative, friend or teacher.
But, play is also necessary… Children learn through playing. They learn about themselves, they learn about the world around them, they ask questions, discover how to socialise with others, get the chance to practice new skills, develop their imaginations… The list goes on.
It is a sad fact that, although research has shown that children have so much to learn through play, nowadays many children are given less opportunity to play than ever before. This could be attributed to several factors: the growth of more sedentary entertainment pursuits like television and DVDs, the understandable worries that parents have of letting their child play outside unsupervised, an educational focus on teaching curriculum subjects rather than child-centred learning.
Here are some fun indoor activities to get you started …
Indian Indoor Wrestling
Age suitability: 7+ You will need: 2 players and a large carpeted space.
The two wrestlers must lie on their backs, parallel to each other, but with their heads at opposite ends. Hips must be touching. Both wrestlers must lift their inside leg and link it with their opponent’s raised leg. The aim is for each wrestler to try to roll each other over by pulling with their linked leg. The wrestler that ends on his/her side loses that particular round. Play until exhausted.
Do-you-think-he-saurus?
Age suitability: 2+ You will need: your child’s collection of toy dinosaurs, a large plastic bowl, some sand/soil, a flat lollipop stick
The next time that your child becomes bored by their plastic dinosaur toys, here are a few ideas to keep them entertained…
- Have a challenge where points are awarded by your child. Which dinosaur is the meanest beast? They must look closely and award points for sharpest teeth or scariest eyes.
- Which dinosaur flies the furthest when flicked off the sofa arm?
- Shut your eyes and let your child claw your arm with each dinosaur… Which has the scratchiest claws?
- Bury a selection of the dinosaurs in a bowlful of sand or soil. Their job is to be palaeontologists and slowly excavate the area with a lollipop stick to discover the buried fossils. Your job is to play the part of mad scientist and come up with some fascinating ‘facts’ for each amazing discovery. What it ate for its last meal, the smell of its breath etc.
Top Secret Club
Age suitability: 5+ You will need: various pens, paper and cardboard. Also plain paper, the juice of a lemon and some cotton buds.
This activity is often best if it comes from your children themselves, but you can prompt them with a few tales of how you did a similar thing when you were a child at a loose end. Children love organising secret clubs, particularly if they have friends over. The key word here is secret so, apart from your initial input, the children will probably enjoy it more if they are left alone. Encourage them to do the following:
- Decide on a place to hold club meetings (in the tree-house, a bedroom or even make a den out of an old sheet and the space behind the sofa).
- Choose a name for the club (the I’m Bored Indoors Club (IBIC), or the World Of Wackiness (WOW)) and then only refer to it by its initials so that it remains a top-secret piece of information!
- Make up private passwords, membership cards and secret code names so that each club member has a secret identity.
- Invent a top-secret code that only club members can crack. Lemon juice can be used as invisible ink. Paint a message on to plain paper using a cotton bud and, when it has dried, hold it close to a hot light bulb to reveal the hidden words.
Once organised, it may now be your role to send the secret agents on some missions, which they have to complete without being spotted by other family members. Send them to hide all of Dad’s socks in Mum’s sock drawer, or choose a key word like “planet” or “thunderstorm” that they have to include in conversation with Uncle Dave as many times as possible without him spotting what they’re up to.
Ivana Katz of Hey Gorgeous Kids shows you how to make parenting fun - keep your children entertained for hours with FREE fun activities for kids, create special memories, do some serious shopping, explore exciting parks and playgrounds and so much more!!! Get a free special report “What You Need to Know Before Travelling with Kids” - www.heygorgeouskids.com
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Why Choose Laminate Flooring?
by Alan Grundemeier
I have sold laminate flooring from the time it was introduced by Pergo(R) in the mid 1990s. Over the years laminate flooring has evolved into the many beautiful styles of wood design species and the replication of natural stone that are available at flooring stores and on the internet.
Why Select Laminate Flooring?
Hundreds of design choices in Wood styles and the natural stone look.
Wood styles of all the beautiful exotics: Rosewood, Tigerwood, Brazilian Cherry, Mahogany Santos, Olive Tree, Merbau, Teak, Wenge, Bamboo.
The always popular traditional woods: Red Oak, White Oak, Maple, Cherry, Hickory, Beech, Ash, Pine, Walnut, Birch.
The Natural Stone look of Marble, Granite, Slate, Travertine, Soapstone, Limestone.
Laminate flooring can be installed anywhere in the house. Over existing glue or nail down wood, ceramice tile, stone, vinyl. Not over carpet or an existing floating floor.
It is extremely tough - abrasion and indentation resistant: high-heels, cigarette burns, lipstick are no problem.
Easy to clean. Wipe away dirt with a damp cloth or dust mop. There Many name brand laminate floor cleaners in the marketplace. All are okay if they are labeled for cleaning laminate floors.
Never add wax. No ammonia, it will dull the service. Also do not clean with excessive water. Prolonged use of water on the laminate can result in the boards buckling at the seams.
Scratch and scuff resistant. Unlike Hardwood floors that can scuff and scratch when dogs and children run and slide across the wood, laminate flooring will not.
Laminate flooring is the healthy choice. Non-allegenic and does not absorb odors.
Fade resistant - the decorator top layer will not fade or change color due to sunlight.
Lasting value with 25 year to lifetime structurial warranties.
No longer is the use of glue essential for installing laminate flooring. The snaplock or snap together system has greatly simplified installation of both wood boards and tile squares. Thus said, some manufacturers of laminate flooring recommend a bead of glue on the tongue and groove when installed in wet areas. (kitchens,bathrooms,laundry rooms).
Manufacturers are now adding a moisture resistant treatment to the tongue and groove for added moisture protection.
Why?
Laninate flooring is constructed of a layer of plastic top and bottom with a wood sustance in the middle. (core) It is laminated together under extreme pressure, thus creating a strong, durable board. As it contains a wood substance, it is susceptible to moisture. Moisture from under the surface, concrete, and the top surface, excess water from cleaning.
How to protect the laminate from excess moisture.
When installed over concrete, a 6 mil roll of plastic is put down on the concrete. Overlapping the plastic 8 inches is recommended. For added moisture protection, tape the overlap with plastic shipping tape. Masking and duct tape are not recommended. Pergo(R) recommended using 6 mil plastic 15 years ago for moisture protection and still does.
Using a 2-in-1 or a 3-in-one underlayment may or may not be sufficient to keep out moisture. I always recommend putting down the 6 mil plastic under the underlayment. Better safe than having the floor buckle because of moisture.
While on the subject of moisture, always use 1/4″ spacers between the wall and the laminate flooring. Again, being a wood product, it expands and contracts with humidity changes throughout the year. Not leaving a 1/4″ space may result in, when it expands, buckling the planks or pushing out the wall.
Care and maintenance of laminate flooring is simple. Use a laminate floor cleaner. Almost all of the laminate manufacturers have their own brand of laminate cleaners. If buying an off brand, be sure it states on the bottle, for laminate floors. Do not use excessive water and no ammonia based cleaners or vinegar. They will dull the appearance of the laminate.
Use a dust mop or clean, non-abrasive cloth and you floor will look great 25 years from now!
Time to relax and enjoy your new laminate floor.
A note from the editor, Alan. I have no bias for any Laminate manufacturer. I refer to Pergo(R) as they were the first laminate floor manufacturer in the United States.
Alan Grundemeier
From Alan - Laminate flooring is fairly easy to install. I ran across an installation video for anyone who wants to learn how to install laminate flooring and save hundreds of dollars. Installing Laminate Flooring video offers practical help in the form of a downloadable instructional video. It makes your laminate installation a breeze and is jam-packed with insider information. Available at:=> http://hopurl.com/60038
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Kitchen Wall Clock - What Your Time Should Look Like
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You know, I spend a lot of time in my kitchen. Every morning I’m sitting at my kitchen table having my usual cup of coffee or two. If I happen to be at home during the noon hour, here I am, back in my kitchen fixing myself something to eat for lunch. In the late afternoon, once again, I’m back in my kitchen preparing the evening meal for myself and my family.
I have noticed over the years that the one thing most kitchens have is a clock hanging on the wall. I have also noticed that the style of kitchen clock hanging on the kitchen wall can make the difference between dull and unnoticeable and charming and sensational.
In order to compliment the style of your kitchen with a kitchen wall clock that will be a charming sensation, all you have to do is know what kitchen wall clock will add these attributes to your kitchen’s atmosphere.
So okay, let the truth be known that the thought of writing this information on kitchen wall clocks wasn’t all my idea. I received an email from the contact page of the website the other day. It was a note from a lady by the name of Catherine.
Catherine had written me a note saying that she was browsing through the website and came across “Wall Clocks.” As she further explored this section of the website, she was so impressed by the information on kitchen wall clocks, she decided to write me to express her appreciation. So this is actually how I got the idea to write about kitchen wall clocks.
So let me see. Where do I start? How about I go over different styles of kitchen decor and then I will make suggestions of what style kitchen wall clock might be the perfect match.
When it comes to kitchen styles or decor, you have Art Deco, Country, Modern and Retro. The colors of your kitchen may or in some cases may not influence the style of kitchen wall clock you hang on your kitchen wall. This all depends on basically on the type of kitchen wall clock you choose to hang.
I will start out with the Art Deco kitchen. This type of kitchen decor usually has some sort of wall art hanging on the walls. This could be plaques in the forms of fruit or vegetables. Also, the kitchen backsplash walls will typically have mosaic tile murals running above the counters with pictures of Horns of Plenty, Wine Bottles with Platters of Fruit and Cheese or Baskets of a Colorful Fruit and Vegetable Arrangements.
The Art Deco kitchen could be accompanied by several styles of kitchen wall clocks. These clocks include the Recipes Decorative Wall Clock which starts its life as an actual painting which is then transformed into a kitchen wall clock. In this style of kitchen wall clock you also have Whimsical Teapots, Cappuccino Decorative and The Vitis wall clock that features a Vitaceae vine design. These are more than kitchen wall clocks. These are works of art.
So now let’s take a look at Country Kitchens. Here there are a variety of themes to choose from. You have to ask yourself is your Country Kitchen theme based on flowers, farm animals, domestic animals, fruit, vegetables, wild birds or frogs (yes, I said frogs).
If your answer is flowers, then you might want to choose the Sunflower with the Brown center kitchen wall clock, Red Garden Wall Clock, the Daisy pendulum wall clock or the Bouquet Tiny Times Clock. Your choice is just a matter of which clock will best match up with the colors and style of your kitchen.
Next we will take a look at the Modern Kitchen. Here you have stainless steel appliances with metal wall tile walls and backsplashes. Glass top kitchen tables with acrylic chairs, chrome pot racks and multi-colored small appliances sitting on counter tops. So now you ask me, “What style of kitchen wall clock would be the perfect solution to this modern day mess hall?”
Well let’s have a look. You could go with the Stainless Steel Kitchen wall clock and keep the metal thing going in your kitchen. You could go with the Round Mirror or the Thin Mirror kitchen wall clock. That is, of course, if mirrors in your kitchen are your thing. You can go with the Studio 24 Collection. This stunning contemporary kitchen wall clock will turn heads.
This rectangular wood wall clock, finished in Black Coffee, features a curved front with recessed brushed nickel bands, with complementing brushed nickel finished hands. This kitchen wall clock features a curved pendulum that is supported by a bold brushed nickel stick to match the case. You never know what style wall click will have you friends saying, “Wow, where did you get that clock?”
Now let’s turn our mind’s eye to the Retro Kitchen. For those of you who have the Diner style kitchen in your home, these kitchen wall clocks are for you. You know who you are. You have the red Formica kitchen table with the chrome table edge and four red padded kitchen chairs with the bent metal chrome chair framing. You have a checkered tablecloth and a jukebox table top music selector that just happens to be a combination AM/FM Radio/CD Player/MP3 Player.
Well let’s see. What kind of kitchen wall clock are you looking for? You could go with your standard Retro Round Metal Wall Clock in you color choice of red, green, black, silver or white. Then you have the Deco Retro Kitchen Wall Clock. This white porcelain frame is accented wonderfully by retro-styled red Arabic numerals and a red center dial. Maybe?
For those of you who really want the finishing touch to the retro diner look in your kitchen you have to go with a retro logo kitchen wall clock. Here you have clocks such as the Coca Cola Double Bubble Clock, the Nesbitt’s LTD Edition Double Bubble Clock and the Orange Crush Double Bubble Clock. These are reproductions of the same clocks that hung on the walls of diners across the USA in the 50’s and 60’s.
So now you know that when it comes to kitchen wall clocks you have choices. So many choices that it is mind boggling. My suggestion, take your time to before you choose your time.
Barbara Tobiasz is an expert in interior/exterior decorating. Along with her husband Joe, they own and operate Wall-Decor-Concepts.com. For more information on Kitchen Wall Clocks, go to Wall Clock at: http://www.Wall-Decor-Concepts.com
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Garden Tools and Supplies
by Colin D Price
Many people enjoy gardening, some do it as a relaxing hobby while with others it becomes an obsession.
Gardening is an art, and like any masterpiece, it requires tender loving care and passion. Part of the art is choosing the proper tools. Just like a painting you need the best quality gardening tools before you can make the best garden. Just like a pet, your garden requires the same amount of care so that your plants can blossom to their fullest. In the US alone, there are actually millions of people who engage in this hobby particularly because they find it relaxing and refreshing.
Finding the right gardening tools is essential in the maintenance of your garden. But that’s not all. If you want a beautiful garden, you need to make sure that your gardening supplies are complete - to grow plants you need seeds, to help seeds flourish, you need plant food, and the process continues.
If you are planning to start a garden, don’t just buy gardening tools and other supplies. Initially you should look at how much room you have and what you wish to grow as this will determine what tools and supplies will be required. Plants require plenty of sunshine to grow properly so make sure your garden will be situated in an open area. The size of the garden isn’t really important as long as it is not in a shaded area.
Next, the type of gardening tools that you will need depends on where you are going to be doing your gardening. If you wish to set up an indoor garden you will need different tools to those used in an outdoor garden. For example, in an outdoor garden, you’ll probably need a weed trimmer or a cultivator but you won’t need this for an indoor garden since your plants will probably be in pots and it is very easy to control the weeds. Also, you may need a rake, shovel and hoe to make your outdoor garden area smooth and to dig holes to plant the seeds, and a mower for the lawn.
For indoor gardens a watering can is essential and you may want to consider grow lamps to help your plants mature if you cannot provide enough sunlight. For young seedlings, you need a light that falls within the blue color spectrum while more mature plants need light which is in the red and orange range in order for them to fruit or flower.
A greenhouse may be a useful accessory in the garden either to start off seedlings or to grow those plants which require warmer conditions.
Some gardening tools for soil less gardens have been developed so that even people who live in a high rise apartment or who have no garden can still enjoy this past time. An indoor hydroponics system can be purchase to enable you to grow plants indoors and are becoming very popular.
Sometimes, finding the right gardening tools can be confusing especially when you are just starting your own garden. This is why you need to ensure that your supplier for gardening tools and material is credible and is passionate about gardens so you can get the best value for your money. When a supplier is dedicated to make the best gardens, then you purchase not only gardening tools - you can also get advice and tips on how to make your garden blossom!
Colin Price has been very successful in all types of gardening over many years and has purchased many tools during that time. Find out how you can take advantage of his knowledge and success and create your own beautiful and productive garden at => http://www.EquipYourGarden.com
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Different Parts Of A Vacuum Cleaner
by Juliet Sadler
There are many places that you can use to find parts for a vacuum cleaner that is broken, providing you have someone around that is handy enough with tools to take a swing at fixing it. The part that breaks the most on most less expensive vacuum cleaners is the drive belt. It’s the rubberized belt that is around 6 inches long, that when stretched out turns the brushes on the bottom of the vacuum.
When you take the vacuum over objects that don’t belong in the vacuum cleaner, such as pieces of rope or a cat’s tail and the unit comes to a screeching halt, the burning smell that will soon fill up the air is your drive belt slowly melting away.
Luckily, the drive belt is available at several locations, so many in fact that your local drug store may even carry them! They are cheap to buy and a snap to replace with a screwdriver and a bit of common sense. For other types of problems that you may encounter, there are a lot of resources at your disposal just in case you decide to tackle the problem on your own.
You should never forget that when you buy parts for your vacuum cleaner, most of the parts you’ll need are going to be specifically made for your particular brand name and model. With the exception of basic items such as drive belts and most bags, most parts aren’t interchangeable between brands and between different models of the same brand.
The first thing to try when you need a part for your vacuum cleaner is the local Yellow Pages book. Inside of the Yellow Pages, you’ll find many listings for appliance parts and suppliers. You’ll have to call each one of the individually to find out if they carry parts for your model and brand. In the rare event that they don’t carry what you need, they can normally order it for you quickly and easily. If that fails, you can always call the company direct that manufactured your model of vacuum cleaner and order the part that way.
Most of the time, you won’t have any problem getting your hands on a part for your vacuum cleaner, unless it is a more intricate part that isn’t readily available. Parts such as the intake or exhaust port are very tricky to replace, and you will probably want to have a professional fix these types of problems.
Drive belts, vacuum bags, and little problems such as these are a snap to replace. With the older style of vacuum cleaners, you don’t have to be an expert to fix a majority of the problems. The newer models however, require quite a bit of skill and technique.
One of the most common problems that will happen is clogging. If your vacuum stops picking up dirt and dust, chances are it has become clogged, which is normally not a parts problem. All you need to do to fix it is take the front assembly off, then manually clean out the agitators and the housing where the dirt makes its way upwards through the vacuum cleaner. This is very easy to do, and won’t take you but a couple of minutes.
Anytime you encounter a parts problem with your vacuum cleaner, you should always take things one step at a time and don’t rush. You can almost always get a hold of a part. If the part is more expensive than you anticipated, you can always scrap the vacuum cleaner and buy yourself a better one - which will save you a lot of time and headache in the long run.
Want to find out about cleaning wood and cleaning hardwood floors? Get tips from the House Cleaning Tips website.
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