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By Sue Inman

Decorating the baby Nursery is endless with soft colors and delicate fabrics. Fresh and clean, just like your new little one.  Preciously Soft and cuddly warm is how decorating baby nursery should be.

Decorating Baby Nursery

For many years mothers and fathers have been decorating baby nursery with all the soft pastel color’s, pink for girl’s and blue for boy’s and now the color choice is all up to you.  Times have changed and with all the color choices of today you can almost pick any for decorating baby nursery.

After choosing color for the walls, your next choice is for choosing furniture for decorating baby nursery.  Now you can buy baby cribs that  can grow with your child, the crib can  be taken apart and made into a toddler bed and then into a twin bed.  Wow! How times have changed from the old crib that was passed down to generations.

Next are  the bedding and window treatments for decorating baby nursery.

Decorating baby nursery can be exciting, you can paint murals on the walls, they are wonderful for decorating baby nursery.  With all the wonderful choices in themes and a wide array of accents, the hard part will be making up your mind on what you want for decorating baby nursery.

Safety is key in a decorating baby nursery, make sure you cover all the basics with safety in the baby’s room.  No matter what your choice in colors  or theme, with you designing it, you will be sure to love your choices in decorating baby nursery.

With design and style at your command at many of the stores to serve your every need, you can do it.  Good luck with your decorating baby nursery and best wishes with your new little one.

Come and visit my site at http://www.redesignroom.com we offer practical redesign hints, resources and products for every room in your home and your outside garden too.  Authur Sue Inman owner and President of Suber, Inc.  Sign up for our e-mail newsletters too,  we will send out great tips and hints about redesign, organizing your home….and so much more.

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By Heather Diodati

Everyone goes through that “in the blues” feeling once in awhile. The best cure is to be around people that you care about; family, friends; and keeping yourself busy enough to change your mind. Here are some “mood changers” to help you overcome those “down- in-the-dumps” feelings.

1.  Less Fortunate

Visit a hospital or chronic care home to pass out small inexpensive surprises to the residents. They will enjoy the care and attention from something so unexpected.

2.  Pamper Yourself

Pamper yourself with a candlelit bubble bath, then prepare your favorite gourmet meal while sipping on a glass of bubbly white wine in one of your special crystal glasses.

3.  Something Special for Others

Plan some community work - help out at the local shelter, volunteer at your local church, work with other volunteers to spread some caring amongst your community. It’ll make you feel better about yourself and happy that you’ve helped out others less fortunate than yourself.

4.  All in the Family

Spend some quality fun time with your niece or nephew or other child in your family.

5.  The Gift of Time

Offer to do some work to free-up some time for your spouse or parent. For example, cleaning Dad’s garage or a full-house vacuuming for your wife. How about for your best friend - you can walk her dog or baby sit one evening.

6.  Long-Distance Caring

Call your favorite aunt whom you haven’t seen since she moved far away, or your best friend who transferred to another country - let them know you’re thinking of them.

7.  Just For You

Have you wanted that delicate pair of earrings for awhile but kept putting off the purchase? Give yourself a special gift - you deserve it!

8.  Seize the Day!

It’s a beautiful day! Invite a friend out for a walk to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air; the peaceful sounds of the birds and the wind blowing through the trees.  Or go for an aerobic power walk with your friend or by yourself. It’s a well-known fact that exercise releases endorphins, the body’s “feel good hormones” which can calm and de-stress you and generally help to change your outlook on life.

9.  A Movie Night

They say “laughter is the best medicine”. Rent or go see a funny movie, either by yourself or with a friend.

10. Dance up a Storm

Go to a line dance class, one that you don’t have to pay for a series of. You’ll be amongst many happy people and you’ll learn a few dance moves while you’re at it!

11. Gym-Dandy

Go to the gym to work out (again, those endorphins!)

12. Holly Hobby

Get out your favorite hobby and start on that project you’ve been putting off - don’t stress yourself about finishing it all in one day; at least start it and who knows…you might get into a feverish pitch and accomplish quite abit!

13. Tee-Time

Do you golf? Go to a putting range and hit a few. Or do another sport that you enjoy; invite a friend or relative..or go alone; you might make a new friend.

14. Thought Process

Start a journal - explain in detail why you feel “down”. In a few months, read what you wrote on this day. Perhaps you will see everything in a new light and all those gloomy thoughts will have disappeared.

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About The Author

Heather Diodati’s whimsically humorous personalized cartoons can bring a giggle or a smile to someone’s lips. Choose one of her designs and request personal changes such as hair color, glasses or even a moustache, or order a custom personalized cartoon!  Fr~ee - Personalized gift with any purchase. Sign up for our ezine, On A Whim for a little sunshine and laughter in your life!

http://www.whimsies-online.com

info@whimsies-online.com

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By Heather Diodati

Tired of giving the same old-same old? Embarrassed to give out those impersonal department store gift certificates because you’re stumped and don’t know what to buy for the person who has everything? Well, here are some wonderful ideas for unique gifts; some unusual, some personal; something for everyone on your list!

Group two, three or more items (mix and match) and place in an interesting basket or unusual container to present your gifts, covering the container with colorful cellophane and topping it all off with a fancy ribbon and bow.

Purely Personal

- Scented candles, handmade soaps, bubble bath and a big fluffy bath towel.

- Fancy hair ties, hair clips, shower gel, shampoo and conditioner for the teenage girl

- A movie night basket with a video of DVD of a movie you know they don’t have, a box of microwave popcorn, candy and a movie guide book

- An interesting book or magazine (and a gift subscription), a tiny booklight, a cute mug and packets of hot chocolate with mini marshmallows, or a small bag of flavored gourmet coffee

- A cozy robe - one pocket containing envelopes of hot chocolate and the other, a small bag of mini-marshmallows.

- A spa day with a pair of comfy slippers and a big fluffy towel or robe

- A set of fancy beeswax candles and a brass candle snuffer

- A towel wrap, terry-cloth slippers, shower soap, shaving lotion and a fancy hair comb (or a special moustache comb for the moustached man!)

- A hot/cold pack (see how to make - www.whimsies-online.com/hotcoldpack.htm) with a box of soothing herbal teas and a whimsical mug

- Buy a variety of medium to large seashells and fill some of the shells with melted red wax and a few drops of cinnamon candle scent; and the rest of the shells with melted green wax and a few drops of pine candle scent; adding a short wick before the wax sets and you have an assortment of bath candles all ready for the holidays.

Holiday Bath Salts

2-1/3 cups of epsom salts

1/2 cup of sea salt

5 drops of peppermint scent

3 drops of red food coloring

Pour half of the first three ingredients into a bowl. Pour the other half of the ingredients into another bowl, adding the red food coloring only to the second bowl. Using a tall, clear bottle, layer contents of each bowl until all ingredients are used up (think red and white stripes). Close the bottle and tie with a festive ribbon and a couple of small candy canes.

- The Gift of Time: coupons for one night of baby-sitting, car washing, gardening, cleaning out the garage, walking the dog, re- arranging a closet, etc.

Hobbies and Sports Gifts

- Tickets to their favorite game and a sweatshirt or t-shirt imprinted with their favorite team logo

- Art supplies that they use often - sketch pads, paint in often- used colors, charcoal pencils, etc.

- Scrapbooking supplies, storage boxes to keep supplies in, rubber stamp set, embossing powder and heat gun

- Computer supplies: CDRW’s, blank CD cases, a furry Pet Virus novelty or a Virus Survival Kit just for fun (www.petvirus.com)

- For the aspiring writer (or student): folders, pencil case, binders and lined paper, fancy colorful pens, notebooks, personalized notes, a good thesaurus and dictionary, an agenda or diary, colorful post-it notes and a personalized CD coaster to hold their favorite mug of coffee (see how to make one - www.whimsies-online.com/cdcoasters.htm)

- For the young artist of craftsperson: a craft box with handle; colorful paper squares, set of scissors with different fancy blades, glue, felt in an assortment of colors, wiggly eyes, lengths of colorful wool, colored pipe cleaners

- For the person who love to bake: a set of cookie cutters in letter and number shapes, a pair of colorful oven mitts, a cute timer, a set of fancy cake tins, mixing bowls, cookbook on baking

- For the BBQ chef: BBQ apron, mitts, a set of large salt and pepper shakers, a BBQ brush, a BBQ recipe book

- A large interesting piece of pottery, kitchen utensils, a cookbook, a set of cute salt and pepper shakers, apron and potholder set

- A fancy flower pot with gardening tools, plant ties, garden gloves, a plant care guide and a kneeling pad.

Fancy Food Gifts

- Chocolate-dipped Spoons: buy heavy clear plastic spoons and dip them in melted chocolate, either all dark or all milk chocolate or let cool and re-dip in melted white chocolate but only halfway up the spoon bowl. Sprinkle with abit of cinnamon before the white chocolate dries for a variation. Let dry on wax paper. Wrap individually in colorful cellophane and tie with a curly ribbon. Add a couple of chocolate-coated spoons in a fancy mug along with packets of gourmet coffee.

You can also add abit of extract or liqueur or even cherry juice to flavor the chocolate before dipping.

For another variation on the chocolate-covered spoons, sprinkle the spoons with finely-crushed candy canes and let dry.

Drizzle melted white chocolate onto your dark chocolate-dipped spoons or drizzle dark chocolate onto your white chocolate-dipped spoons for a different look.

- Here’s a different twist to your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. Make up a batch, let cool and then dip them halfway into melted chocolate. For a variation, add a sprinkle of coconut or candy sprinkles before the chocolate coating dries.

- Here’s a way to use up those little plastic coffee creamer containers you’ve been saving. Check out this yummy recipe: Coffee Creamer Cherry Chocolates - www.whimsies-online.com/cherries.htm

- Breakfast Treat Basket: pour a box of pancake mix into a clean glass jar. Add the lid, cover the top of the jar with a square of pretty scrap fabric and tie on a colorful ribbon or raffia. Type the recipe from the pancake box and print it out onto cardstock to hole-punch and add to ribbon before tying the finishing bow.

Add small zip-lock bags of the following: chocolate chips, dried fruit including raisins, walnuts, almonds, pecans, coconut. One or more of these added to the pancake mix makes a unique treat! Include a bottle of pancake syrup and the gift is complete.

- Muffin Magic: add your favorite muffin recipe to a 1 or 2-quart mason jar or clear, fancy container. Decorate the jar with a square scrap of fabric and tie with a ribbon or raffia. Add your recipe to a printed card (make sure you adjust your recipe if you’ve cut the ingredients by half to fit the jar!). Include a muffin tin, a wooden spoon tied with a pretty bow, a bag of fancy paper muffin cups and a colorful oven mitt or two.

- Pasta Perfect: an assortment of clear glass jars filled with fancy pastas, a wooden spoon tied with a festive ribbon, a shaker of mixed Italian spices and another of grated parmesan or romano cheese

- Your Fortune: mix up a batch of Chinese fortune cookies (see recipe at www.whimsies-online.com/weddinggallery.htm) that you add your own printed fortunes or silly sayings to (think Confucious Say!). Place them in a colorful tin from the dollar store.

- Caffeine-fix: a set of small tins filled with an assortment of special hot cocoa mixes and/or flavored coffee using the following recipes. Create tags for each to describe each mix and the directions. (All cocoa recipes: add 1/3 cup of mix to 6 oz. hot water. All coffee recipes: add 1 heaping teaspoon, or more, to 6 oz. of hot water)

Basic Hot Cocoa Mix

1-1/4 cup dry milk

3/4 cup powdered coffee creamer

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 cup sugar

——————————————————————————–

Mexican Cocoa

Add 1 tablespoon of cinnamon to above mixture and a cinnamon stick to the tin when you tie on the recipe card.

——————————————————————————–

Cocoa-Malt

1/2 cup malted milk mix

1 cup instant cocoa mix

1/3 cup powdered coffee creamer

——————————————————————————–

Very Berry Cocoa

Mix one package of unsweetened Koolaide in a berry flavor to 3 cups of instant cocoa mix

——————————————————————————–

Coffee ‘n Spice

1 cup instant coffee

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon allspice or apple pie spice mix

1 cup sugar

——————————————————————————–

Mocha Magic

1 cup instant coffee

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup sugar

1 cup powdered coffee creamer

1/4 cup dry milk

——————————————————————————–

Toffee Coffee

Mix equal amounts of brown sugar, instant coffee and powdered coffee creamer

——————————————————————————–

Personalized Gifts

- An arrangement of family photos in a large frame - use nice gift wrap or other fancy paper as a background, or a collage of handmade papers from your art store.

- Any item personalized with the person’s name: a t-shirt with an interesting graphic along with their name; a personalized coffee mug; a picture of their favorite hobby or occupation in cartoon form with their name; a silly caricature made from their photo; a personalized BBQ apron.

——————————————————————————–

You’ll find a unique assortment of personalized cartoon pictures for any hobby, occupation or occasion and fun computer novelties including the Pet Computer Virus at:
 www.whimsies-online.com. Be sure to pick up your free gift just for stopping by!

Heather creates unique personalized cartoons for weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, graduations. Fun & personalized with any name or message. Cartoons to fit any occasion, hobby, occupation or personality! Choose one of her designs and request personal changes such as hair color, glasses or even a moustache, or order a total custom personalized cartoon! Everyone loves a gift that’s truly unique. Give them something they’ll always remember! Free - Personalized gift with any purchase, and be sure to sign up for our free ezine, On A Whim, for your free time management gift. http://www.whimsies-online.com

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By Peter Kenny

Are you thinking of taking out a personal loan! If the answer is yes then you have to ask yourself some questions first. This will make sure that the loan you choose is the right one to suit your needs.

Below are some of the most common questions you should be asking.

Do I really need a personal loan?

You have to ask yourself if the purchase you are about to buy is necessarily, as you may have this debt for a year or two.

Can I afford to takeout a personal loan?

This is properly the most important question you will have to ask yourself, debt advisers says that a non- mortgage monthly repayment debt should not be anymore than 5% of your net income. This is the total you walkout with after tax, say you take home £2000 a month then the most you should be paying back is about a £100 a month.

How much should I borrow?

Most lenders offer a cheaper APR on a larger loan; each lender has their different levels of interest rates and will change them with accordance to how much you borrow. Sometimes it’s best to up your loan just a small bit to get the best interest rate.
For example maybe you only want a loan of £4.500 your APR maybe 10.5% but if you go for a £5,000 loan the APR drops to 9.6%. So over all you may end up saving by taking out a bit more just something to watch out for.

Where do I go for a personal loan?

Most people think of the bank first nothing wrong with that, but know there are so many places to look. Everywhere you turn you see adverts for loans including the newspapers, TV, mail, supermarkets and the Internet. The competition at the moment from the lenders is great; they all want your business so there are some great deals on offer. You just have to look for them take your time and you are sure to get the best deal around

Will I be covered if I become ill or unemployed?
Most lenders will have PPI (payment protection Insurance) please check the policy carefully and ask questions. As not all these policies will cover you and they can be expensive, sometime it’s best to shop around for a different policy.

Can I pay my loan off early?

Yes you can and unbelievably 60% of people do, again check with your lender as some add on penalties for paying off your loan early. Some lenders charge two or three months interest unbelievable but true.

What happens if I get turned down for a loan?

First check why is it because your credit rating is poor or is it because you’re asking for too much money. If your income is low you may be asking for too much, if this is the case reduce your request. If it’s poor credit rating check out why and try and sort that out first, before you reapply
Hopefully these answers will help you, just remember workout what you need the loan for first, then make sure you can afford to make the repayments. Take your time when looking for your personal loan, as there are some great deals out there at the moment.

Peter Kenny is a writer for creditcards-gb

For additional articles and an extensive resource for everything about credit cards, please visit us at http://www.creditcards-gb.co.uk and http://www.creditcards2go4.com

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By Heather Diodati

From one “crafty” person to another, here are a bunch of ideas to try out while you’re crafting or sewing to make your life a bit easier, and to save a bit of money and time in the process.

1. Use inexpensive index cards to staple on fabric swatches or ribbon; very handy to take with you to your fabric or craft shop.

2. Old pillowcases make handy cover-ups for children! Cut out a large hole for the head and two smaller holes for the arms and just slip over their heads. They can even decorate them with tie-dye, fabric paint or iron-ons.

3. If you use rubber stamps for your projects, clean them with a mild detergent after each use, making sure you keep the wood parts dry. Use a paper towel to dry the stamp and then store them with the stamp side down, away from direct sunlight.

4. Large bottle caps make handy disposable containers for paints or glue.

5. Use a toothpick to apply glue to a small part; less “glue-y” fingers!

6. A damp Q-tip can pick up small items such as seed beads or rhinestones.

7. Keep a magnet handy in case you drop needles or pins on the floor.

8. A coffee can is great for storing balls of yarn when crocheting or knitting. Simply punch a hole in the coffee can lid and poke the yarn up through and out; then close the lid.

9. Use cardboard emery boards as sandpaper for small parts or areas where regular sanders or files will not reach.

10. Shred your leftover wrapping paper to make pretty “stuffing” for gift baskets and bags.

11. Use your lint roller around your sewing table to pick up bits of thread.

12. Don’t toss out that old plastic tablecloth when you buy a new one. Use the old one as a table protector when crafting.

13. For larger projects, use an old plastic shower curtain as a drop cloth or cut it into smaller table protectors.

14. Tweezers make great holders for those small parts you’re trying to glue or paint. Less glue and paint on fingers.

15. Lubricate the tip of your needle before sewing by pushing it into a sliver of soap.

16. Keep a roll of paper towels on your worktable to clean up spills, wipe your hands and even to use for creating texture in your paintings.

17. Use an old coffee can sitting in a pot or pan of hot water on the burner to melt leftover pieces of candles. Make sure you handle the hot coffee can with oven mitts. Add an old candle, the long, tapered kind, to a cardboard milk carton. Add ice and then the melted wax. After the candle is set, tear away the carton over your sink to drain the water and you’ll have a unique “Swiss cheese” candle to use. You can toss out the coffee can after its use. No worrying about cleaning a pot with wax residue.

18. Use an old (or new!) fishing case, with all its many compartments, for your small craft parts.

19. Hate throwing away the last sliver of soap? Break it up into pieces and place in a rubber baking mold. Melt more soap, either left over or purchased inexpensive soap, cool slightly so it won’t melt your soap bits and pour into mold, let harden and pop your new soap out of the mold!

20. Tape a small plastic grocery bag or a small paper bag to your sewing table so it hangs over the side. Handy for tossing out bits of cut thread and fabric scraps.

21. A small metal parts cabinet (the kind for bolts, nails and screws, etc.) is great for storing small crafts parts and sewing items. I even have two of them housing all my earrings and necklaces – one or more drawers for each color!

These were just some of the handy hints I’ve used over the years. There are TONS more out there which may result in “Handy Craft Tips Two” – hey, you never know…stay tuned! Oh, by the way, if YOU have any great tips to share, please email me at  info@whimsies-online.com.

Want more of Heather Diodati’s articles and how-to’s? Visit http://www.whimsies-online.com/freecontent.htm. By the way, you are free to use these articles on your websites and ezines provided you include the author’s bylines. A courtesy copy or an email mentioning where the article was published would be much appreciated!

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By Carolina Fernandez

Just when we thought spring had finally arrived, we got blasted with snow flurries and wretched weather all day Saturday. Rain mixed with snow and sleet…and spring spirits dashed right along with hopes of getting anything done outside in the garden…or of simply catching a whiff of fresh spring air. Because my calendar tells me that spring has officially arrived—we’re ten days into it for crying out loud and chocolate bunnies, eggs and marshmallow chicks line rack upon rack of grocery store shelves after all—yet my eyes tell me that winter is indeed, still in our midst—we cannot leave our homes without bulky overcoats and sweaters—I’m caught between the desire for celebrating spring’s freshness and vitality with the inescapable resignation that winter, at least up here in New England, is still here.

Such is Holy Week. We want so badly to celebrate the Resurrection at Easter, but we feel overcome with the passion and trial of the days leading from Palm Sunday through Good Friday. This season signals—around the world—time for reflection. During Holy Week, we move—day by day—from sadness to enthusiasm. From the valley of darkness to the tunnel of light.  And that entails conflict.

Many of us feel conflicted these days. Overall, general “conflictedness.” The war in Iraq might be bogging us down in one way or another; college acceptance and rejection letters might be cause for overall malaise or even panic; and figuring out the calendar for summer activities for your kids in light of your own schedule might be more than you can emotionally handle.

I’ve been unusually conflicted lately. I’ll most likely be re-entering the official workforce in the next few weeks or months, and I’ve been interviewing, taking tests and talking with lots of different folks from varied areas of the work-world in an effort to nail down what I should be doing with myself, professionally, for the next oh, twenty years or so. A huge decision. We’re trying to figure out how to transition from having a mom in the home to having one gone during the day; how to shuffle kids to various activities without a mom-chauffeur yet with a new teen driver on our roster; and yet how to deal with the financial reality of multiple college tuition bills for most of the foreseeable future which, in and of itself is enough to cause discomfort. Perhaps my family just has too many balls in the air. Too many unanswered questions. Too many variables in the equation.

Yet as I look around, I see so many others facing conflict and discomfort. I cannot go one week without receiving an email or a phone call from a reader whose family member is struggling with one problem or another. Financial problems, health concerns, relationship issues. Most of us hate being uncomfortable. We hate conflict. Hate uncertainty. Hate dealing with the struggle in order to celebrate the victory. And yet that’s the real lesson of Holy Week.

However tempting it is to focus your thoughts and energies this week on the celebration of Easter—on resurrection and renewal—I hope that you allow yourself some quiet time to sort out the conflicts and discomforts of Maundy Thursday and of Good Friday. To focus on the sacrifice. For as you grow more fully aware of the sacrifice that Christ made on your behalf, you will gain immeasurable joy at the power of the Resurrection.

And if you are of another faith, please be sensitive to the fact that this week brings with it introspection for millions of people around the world. Passover will be celebrated by Jews and they will have rituals and holy remembrances, too.

So as tempting as it is when you’re in discomfort, confused…or just in a funk…to focus on spring’s lightheartedness and brightness, on chicks and on chocolate, remember that for a few days anyway, it’s not about that. It’s not about the bunnies. Even though, I admit, they’re taking up inordinate amounts of windowsill and tabletop real estate in my own home these days, and as much as they emotionally lift me out of the doldrums of winter, out of my own confusion and state of disequilibrium and into the sublime celebration of spring, they have little to do with the days ahead of us this week.

Go ahead and splurge on chocolate and on baskets. On flowers for your home or in a new outfit or on travel. This is a time for celebration, to be sure, come Easter Day. But allow yourself in the next few days, to internalize the conflict of Holy Week. It is one time of year when your internal struggle should be palpable. For we cannot get to Easter, to victory, without coming to grips with the sacrifice of Good Friday. Throughout life, we cannot get to true celebration without coming to grips with life’s struggle.

Carolina Fernandez earned an M.B.A. and worked at IBM and as a stockbroker at Merrill Lynch before coming home to work as a wife and mother of four. She totally re-invented herself along the way. Strong convictions were born about the role of the arts in child development; ten years of homeschooling and raising four kids provide fertile soil for devising creative parenting strategies. These are played out in ROCKET MOM! 7 Strategies To Blast You Into Brilliance. It is widely available online, in bookstores or through 888-476-2493. She writes extensively for a variety of parenting resources and teaches other moms via seminars, workshops, keynotes and monthly meetings of the ROCKET MOM SOCIETY, a sisterhood group she launched to “encourage, equip and empower moms for excellence.”

Please visit http://www.rocketmom.com

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http://EzineArticles.com/?Its-Not-About-the-Bunnies&id=176303

By Susie Cortright

Celebrate this season of renewal, abundance and love with some new family traditions. Here are seven ideas:

1. Create a kindness wreath for your front door. Begin with a small, plain wreath. A week or two before Easter, distribute 10 or more ribbons in bright spring colors to each family member. Whenever someone reaches out to another in kindness during the week, another ribbon is tied onto the wreath.

2. Fill a wicker basket with handmade cards featuring cheerful messages and perhaps a small gift or two. Leave the basket anonymously on a friend’s doorstep, along with a request that they empty the basket and do the same for someone else.

3. Sit down with your children and each create a special collage or drawing that depicts what Easter means to each of you. The artwork can become a permanent part of your family’s Easter decorations. Before they go into storage at the end of the season, scan them or take a photograph so you can record the artwork in your family journal or scrapbook album.

4. Videotape (or audiotape) young children singing a fun seasonal song. These renditions of “Little Bunny Foo Foo” and “Here Comes Peter Cottontail” will be treasured for years to come. Make copies and send the tapes to family and friends whom you can’t be with on Easter.

5. When it’s time for your annual Easter get together, present each guest with a 6×6 or 8×8 sheet of cardstock and ask them to handwrite a message especially for the Easter holiday - perhaps ways that they are feeling joy, gratitude, or hopefulness. Snap a photo of each guest and create a simple (and quick) mini scrapbook album as a keepsake, featuring one page for each guest - with their photo and Easter message.

6. Make a Garden Journal. Cover an ordinary dime-store composition book or journal with spring patterned papers or magazine clippings of your favorite flowers. Now record the process of creating your family garden this year. Make sure to include pictures of each of you working in the soil. Don’t forget the journaling  - and lots of flower pressings.

7. Buy or make handmade Easter greeting cards and send them to friends and family. Make a point to send out at least seven cards this season to people with whom you’d like to create a deeper friendship.

May these ideas for Easter family traditions spark more ideas that you can use throughout the year to celebrate the beauty that comes to us through friends and family.

Susie Cortright is the founder of Momscape.com as well as Momscape’s Online Scrapbooking Magazine and  Momscape’s Organic Living Channel - all of which celebrate the simple splendor in our everyday lives. Visit her site today to subscribe to her free weekly newsletters featuring fresh new ideas and inspiration.

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http://EzineArticles.com/?Family-Traditions-for-Easter&id=165381

By Heather Cottrell

When you look out your window you see the evidence of Spring’s new birth everywhere. The trees are bright with green again, tulips are blooming and the birds are back with their songs. In harmony with nature, we wish to feel new again too.

It’s natural at this time of year to want to clean house. The cold dark days of Winter leave us feeling sluggish and unmotivated. Winter excess fades our skin and expands our waistlines. Spring allergies may indicate an overworked liver thanks to all those holiday celebrations. Unfinished projects and household clutter impede the flow of energy through our lives. The spirit is ready to wake from hibernation and enjoy new connections.

This article provides great suggestions to begin cleansing your body, mind and soul of the past. Prepare to have your best Spring ever.

Freshen Up Your Body

Spring is naturally the most popular time of year to begin a cleansing program. A cleanse can help us shed unwanted pounds and improve our energy. According to Chinese medicine, Spring is associated with the liver – an organ essential to digestion and the elimination of toxins. Some foods and drink that are especially troublesome for the liver include alcohol, chemicals, drugs, fried foods and meats. An overworked liver may cause low energy, stress, mood swings, and inflammatory conditions.

There are many kinds of cleanses to choose from, based on the needs of the individual. One simple recommendation is to do a few days of fresh fruit and vegetable juices, along with plenty of water. Increase exercise and sweating to help rid the body of excess toxins. Adding more greens to your diet now will help to freshen, cleanse and build the body. In Staying Healthy with the Seasons Dr. Elson Haas also recommends water with lemon, fresh organic cold-pressed olive oil, milk thistle herb and olive leaf extract to support and disinfect the liver.

Along with what you eat, how you eat your food is also important to your overall health. Eating a meal under stress disrupts the body’s ability to properly digest and absorb the nutrients the food provides. Before you begin to eat, take a few slow deep breaths into your belly. As you eat, chew well and stop when you feel full. These subtle changes can bring a great deal of healing to your body.

Clear Your Head and Home

In Winter we spend most of our time indoors and often this leads to a lot of clutter build-up. A cluttered desk, closet or room is usually an indicator for a cluttered mind as well. We hold onto material possessions that we no longer need and this creates a stuck energy in our lives as well as our homes. As Karen Kingston writes in Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui: “an ordered home means an ordered mind.” She suggests trying the clutter test on each item in your space. Ask: “Does it lift my energy when I think about it or look at it? Do I absolutely love it? Is it genuinely useful?” If you answer “no” or “sort of” to any of these questions, let it go. Trash it, give it away or recycle it. Make room in your mind and your space for the new. This same principle applies to the clutter of limiting ideas and memories in your mind. If they are not serving the purpose of your life, it’s time to say good-bye.

As you transition your wardrobe from cold weather to warm weather, fill some bags with clothes you haven’t worn and drop them off with your favorite charity. A general rule to follow is if you haven’t worn it in over a year, you won’t miss it.

Nourish Your Soul

The spirit or soul is what connects us with something larger, with Nature itself and with our innate creativity. Feeding your spirit is a very individual experience. For some it means religious celebration and being part of a like-minded community.

Others find inner peace through yoga, tai chi or meditation. For some, a spiritual experience can be as simple as a walk in the park, a day at the shore, an afternoon of gardening or laughing with a child. Whatever your preference, create the time to connect with yourself. Enjoy deep belly breaths, write in a journal, reflect.

Once the soil of your life is replenished, what will you plant? Allow yourself permission to daydream, an oft overlooked but extremely important activity. It is in daydreaming that you learn the most about your true self, your creative wishes and desires. Visualize the life that you want. Create an action plan and take your first small steps. The Spring rain will make your dreams grow and blossom, the Summer sun will give them strength and power, and the Fall harvest will bring you success and achievement. But only if you begin today.

Heather Cottrell is a certified Holistic Health Counselor and founding director of Heather Holistic, a private practice offering Nutrition and Lifestyle Counseling. Through individual programs, group workshops and teleclasses, Heather Holistic empowers you to be your happiest and healthiest self with proper nourishment of mind, body and soul. Visit http://www.HeatherHolistic.com to schedule a private phone consultation and sign up to receive the Heather Holistic newsletter.

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By Susanne Myers

Easter baskets don’t have to be full of chocolate and peeps. Here are some great ideas that will fill your Easter basket without all the extra fat and sugar.

Bubbles

What child doesn’t love to blow bubbles? Grab a couple of bottles of bubbles for this year’s Easter basket. The kids will have a blast with them and with a little luck it will be warm enough outside to keep them busy and running around chasing bubbles for quite some time.

Sidewalk Chalk

Another fun treat is sidewalk chalk. This is the perfect time to draw on the sidewalk with the weather warming up. Plus we get enough rain in the spring that your driveway or sidewalk won’t be decorated for too long.

Homemade Playdough

Make some playdough using your favorite homemade playdough recipe (we have one at kinderinfo.com). Get a couple of small playdough toys to go along with it and let the fun begin.

Toys from the Dollar Store

You can also pick up some very inexpensive toys at the dollar store. I have found anything from Easter themed coloring books to kites in there. This is also a great place to shop for the Easter baskets themselves, as well as some plastic Easter eggs that are great for hiding small trinkets and treats.

Of course every child should have some special treats in the Easter basket as well. Along with the obligatory chocolate bunny, include some healthier treats.

Chocolate and Yogurt Covered Raisins

Both chocolate and yogurt covered raisins look like little mini Easter eggs and are a yummy treat. Fill a small cellophane bag with these sweet treats and tie a pretty bow around it.

Trail Mix with Jellybeans

Mix some low sugar cereal like chex, or cheerios with some small pretzels, peanuts, raisins, and some jellybeans for an Easter inspired Trail Mix. You don’t have to feel bad about your kids filling up on this. Pour your trail mix in a small bag, or fill some large plastic Easter eggs with the mix.

To enjoy weekly healthy menu plans delivered to your inbox every week visit http://www.healthymenumailer.com .  For family friendly weekly meal planning visit http://www.dinewithoutwhine.com/info .

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By Heather Diodati

Want to look fit and trim for next summer’s season or for that wedding? Here are some healthy, handy tips on how to lose weight.

1. Never skip any meals, particularly breakfast. The first meal of the day triggers your metabolism to start the fat burning process.

2. Six mini meals throughout your day helps keep your metabolism from slowing down.

3. Fiber-rich foods such as whole grains, helps fill you up and aids digestion.

4. Learn to eat slowly, even if others around you are fast eaters. It takes a full twenty minutes before your brain receives the signal from your stomach that you’re full.

5. Be sure to keep a food diary. This really helps you adhere to your eating plan. Just knowing that you have to record that piece of chocolate cake in your diary may help prevent you from eating it or at least to eat only half! Nutridiary has an excellent Free food and exercise log.

6. Get into some form-fitting workout clothes for your “before” photo. Take a photo from the front, side and back. A few successful months later, wearing the same clothing, take the same pictures – you’ll be pleased when you see the results and this will also motivate you to continue.

7. Drinking a minimum of eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day helps your metabolism burn fat.

8. Hot and spicy foods have also been shown to “rev up” your metabolism.

9. When invited to a friend’s house for a meal, always mention your special diet so as not to offend anyone when you show up with some of your own food.

10. When dining out, order a salad to eat before your meal. This will fill you up so you’ll eat less of the main meal. But be sure to ask for a low calorie salad dressing and ask for it “on the side” so you can regulate how much dressing to add to your salad. If they do not have anything low calorie, ask for oil and vinegar, again on the side. Be careful with the oil – use a teaspoon or tablespoon to measure it onto your salad.

11. Increase your activity – do activities you enjoy to prevent boredom.

12. Make a list of reasons why you want to lose weight and refer to it often. Tape it up on the fridge to remind you!

13. Pre-package weighed or measured snacks.

14. Going away? Bring your “before” photos with you. Keep them in an easily viewed spot to help motivate you to not lose touch with your eating plan during your vacation.

15. Calculate your BMI or body mass index which measures the proportion of fat in your body. Check your results to see the proper BMI for your health. Use this handy Body Mass Index Chart to find out if you’re carrying around too much fat in relation to your body weight. The fat is measured using the BMI or Body Mass Index.

16. Just because it claims to be low fat or fat free, that doesn’t mean calorie free! Check those labels!

17. Weigh yourself in the morning unclothed, only once a week. Track your progress in your diet log (see #15 above).

18. Eat your meals on a smaller plate to fool your subconscious!

19. Drink plenty of water while eating to fill you up and help with digestion.

20. Keep your before photo on your fridge.

21. Set several mini goals for yourself. Be sure to write them down and keep them handy. Reward yourself with a non-food reward at the end of successful completion of each goal.

22. Get lots of rest. Being tired lowers your resistance.

23. When eating out, cut your meal in half and pour a lot of salt onto this portion to discourage you from finishing off your plate, or ask that it be packaged right away for you in a doggy bag to be taken home after your meal.

24. In the mood for dessert? Try low fat graham crackers. They are whole grain and a couple of them with a hot mug of tea will help curb your craving for sweets.

Want more of Heather Diodati’s articles and how-to’s? Visit http://www.whimsies-online.com/freecontent.htm. By the way, you are free to use these articles on your websites and ezines provided you include the author’s bylines. A courtesy copy or an email mentioning where the article was published would be much appreciated!

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By Heather Diodati

For years I heard woman after woman say after obviously falling in love, “He’s so funny! I just love that about him.”

Often after someone has lost a family member, they’ll say “I’ll always remember her smile, the way she laughed, the little jokes she would tell to lighten the mood.”

Could it be we love people who have a great sense of humor? I’ve always thought so. And now we have scientific proof of what many of us long suspected. Humor is one of the things we enjoy most about life and, frequently, the people we love are the ones who make us smile.

Fortunately for those of us who probably aren’t that funny, humor is most often in the eye of the beholder. The guys at work may not laugh at your wise cracks, but if SHE laughs, well that’s all that matters.

For a long time, nobody in the scientific world knew much about humor. But during the past 20 years, more and more research has been done. We know what parts of our brains deal with humor. We also know when a baby starts to develop a sense of humor.

So don’t hesitate. Let your funny bone show through!

* When you think something is funny, don’t be afraid to let it out. Just think first if your remark might be taken the wrong way by those in earshot. Humor is great — foot-in-mouth is less great.

* Use humor to ease uncomfortable situations. When the mood starts to get tense, an appropriate chuckle and humorous side remark can get everyone back on track.

* If you’re not naturally funny, read cartoons, joke books, the laugh lines at the back of Reader’s Digest, and pay attention to how script writers set up funny situations on TV. You CAN learn to be more humorous than you are. Pay attention to humor and your sense of humor will develop.

Above all else, be someone who APPRECIATES humor. Try not to make someone feel bad when you don’t find their attempt at humor to be all that funny. As long as the humor isn’t in grossly poor taste, give your humorist a smile. And be one who isn’t afraid to chortle and guffaw when someone really pushes your funny button. A good laugh can be the best medicine you’ve had all day.

Heather Diodati is a well-known cartoonist whose work can be seen online at http://www.whimsies-online.com.  She will create your unique personalized cartoon picture to fit any occasion. Perfect for gifts! Give the gift of humor.

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