How To Make Your Baby’s Christening Easy

Getting your child Christened is a landmark moment in their life, and while it is a big occasion, that doesn’t mean it has to be a lot of stress planning it. Christenings are best when they are simple events, so get organised and be sure you remember your child’s christening as a beautiful day rather than a logistical nightmare. The following tips will help make sure you are all over the planning of your child’s big day.

Pick the God Parents Early

It is quite an important role to be a Godparent, so think carefully about whom you’d like to have filling this role for your child. If you have people in mind be sure to ask them early as they may not be in town for the christening or they may have to decline for other reasons. You don’t want to wait until the last minute to secure the Godparents as if your plans don’t work out you’ll be left panicked hunting for Godparents at the last minute. When thinking about possible Godparent’s keep in mind that you are asking people to take part in a religious ceremony, so if they aren’t religious don’t be surprised if they don’t feel comfortable taking part.

Send Invitations ASAP

Don’t assume everyone will be able to come if you don’t give him or her a lot of notice. People are busy so give plenty of notice by sending out the invitations super early for your best chance of a good turn out.

Get a Nice Outfit Online

Finding the right outfit for your little one’s christening can be quite the challenge, though your best bet is to research your options on the Internet and buy it online. There is a huge variety of baby clothes suitable for a christening, so whether you are looking for quality brands like Marquise or want to have something specific custom made, get online early and be sure you get that perfect outfit.


Book the Church and Hall Early

Parish Churches are often quite busy places, with not just christenings happening, but also confirmations, weddings, funerals and first Holy Communion ceremonies. So if you have a specific date and time in mind for your child’s christening you should contact the church and book it in as soon as possible. It’s a good idea if your church has a parish hall to rent it out as well so that you have an easy place to hold a small party after the ceremony.

Have It Catered

Having the after ceremony party catered is a great way to take a whole lot of stress off your plate. You won’t need a huge amount of food or drinks there with basic finger foods probably sufficient, though whatever food or drinks you want, get someone else to cater. You’ll definitely appreciate being able to spend more quality time with your friends and family celebrating this big occasion.

Get Someone to Take Photos

Get one of your friends to agree to be the photographer so that you don’t have to worry about who is getting those perfect shots of the big day. If you don’t know anyone who is competent with a camera you might want to pay a professional to come; it will be worth it to have some great shots of this beautiful day.

image: clipartof.com

Read more...

How to Teach Kids to Make Their Beds

Would you like your kids to become bed linen wizards? Teaching kids how to make their beds can be easy or frustrating, depending on their ability to retain the habit. Here are some tips not only to show your kids how to make their beds, but also to help them stick with the habit.

Teach during transitions

When your child grows old enough to leave the crib and get a toddler bed, or when you replace the toddler bed with a regular one, it’s the perfect time to introduce a new habit. The kids will be all excited by getting a grown-up bed and will want to keep it clean.

But even if your child is not changing their bed, you can always motivate them by getting a new set of sheets or a new superhero comforter. It’s never too late to introduce the habit of making your bed every morning. You can find beds and comforters with a Babies R Us Coupons and get something that would make your child more relaxed.

Show them first
Kids learn a lot by example, so the first time, you should show them how you make your bed. Invite them in your bedroom or tell them to watch you as you make their beds. Tell them that they will be expected to learn and do it on their own.

When they try their hand at it for the first time, help them by showing them where the corners go and how to make everything even. Tell them the order of the sheets and let them put it together themselves. Children love puzzles!

Turn it into a game
Engage in a game of copycat or Simon Says. Have your kids stand across the bed from you and copy your movements, or tell them what to do, step by step. Transforming bed making into a game will turn what may seem like a chore to a special, fun time with mummy or daddy!

Give praise and encouragement
Think about how you can praise your kids for making their beds rather than how you can punish them for not doing it. It’s called positive reinforcement, and it works much better than punishment in the long run.

Stay with them at first and show them how to make it properly, and then leave them alone to do it and check the work after. Always be positive in your comments and avoid saying: “your bed isn’t made right.”

Give daily praise like “Wow, you’re such a grown up!” or “You’re helping mummy and daddy a lot by making your bed every morning!” Offer a small reward for a week’s worth of daily bed making at first, and then a bigger monthly reward if they do it every day for a month. Your kids will want to make your bed in no time!

It takes only 21 days to create a habit, so encourage your kids to make their beds every day for three weeks, and then you won’t need to ask them again. Get them some nice flowers to decorate their bedroom, or a new set of sheets from that TV show they enjoy. It will help encourage them to want to keep their room neat and tidy.

Read more...

5 Ways to Prevent Injuries

All too often, we devote little time or attention to the prevention of injuries, only to need professional assistance when the injuries are sustained. Physiotherapists often work with people who have sustained injuries, but these professionals fully attest to the importance of injury prevention.

Here we examine five of the most significant ways to prevent injuries:

1) Moving Objects the Right Way

By ensuring that objects are carried and moved correctly, many injuries can be prevented. Muscle strains are a common injury when objects are moved incorrectly and dangerously. By learning how to do this safely, you can avoid injuring yourself.

2) Correct Posture

When a person has poor or incorrect posture, back, neck and shoulder pain can be experienced. This is because the muscles are burdened with a greater load than they should otherwise have to carry. Poor posture is also problematic because it can affect your gait and thereby cause pain in the knees and/or back. Physiotherapy can assist a person to improve their posture and simultaneously reduce the likelihood of injury.

3) See a Physio

Specialised and specific physio exercises that are focused on strengthening and stretching can help to reduce the likelihood of knee pain and knee injuries. Physiotherapists understand that knee pain is usually caused by quadriceps muscles that are weak, hamstrings and calf muscles that are tight, and inflexible joints. By helping a person to strengthen and stretch their muscles, physios reduce the possibility of injury occurring.

4) Take Care of Your Feet

Foot injuries, including Achilles tendonitis, are commonly caused by tendons and ligaments being put under excessive stress as a result of overuse or overtraining. As you would expect, foot injuries are often very painful. Physio exercises can be specifically tailored to stretch and strengthen the associated muscles, and a qualified and skilled physiotherapist can also make recommendations about the best types of footwear to use.

5) Avoid Shin Splints

Of all the injuries that physiotherapists treat, shin splints are perhaps the most frequent. Many people experience the pain and discomfort of shin splints. A physiotherapist can teach a patient how to stretch and strengthen their calf muscles and also the muscles in and around the shin bone. To prevent shin splints from occurring, a physiotherapist may recommend particular running shoes that will provide better support and thereby minimise the likelihood of injury.While no one likes to deal with the impacts of injuries, the good news is that many of the most commonly seen and experienced injuries can be prevented. There are many different exercises, techniques and even equipment that a physiotherapist can recommend. You can even help little ones with infant massage or baby massage from qualified practitioners.

image:arthursclipart.org

Read more...

Cachet Homes: Perfect Life Style in Arizona

Are you going to relocate with your family to Arizona? Moving itself can be a stressful experience; having no idea where to find a new home in Arizona will surely give you deeper pressure. Fortunately I know the information that you need right now. If an elegant home with great environment and family-friendly atmosphere is a kind of home that you’re searching for your family, you must check out new homes at www.cachethomes.net, the official website of Cachet Homes.

As the leading home builder in Arizona, Cachet Homes has been elected in the top five Home Builders by Ranking Arizona for the past ten years. You can trust Cachet Homes; they only offer best homes at the best locations in Arizona.

You can choose one home in any community of Cachet home communities that are located in Scottsdale, Buckeye, Chandler, Flagstaff, Gilbert and Peoria. Each community provides perfect life style and lavishness amenities. What kind of luxury living that you and your family crave to attain? From lakeside living, mountain living, golf course living, to live-work-play neighborhoods; you can get the perfect living inside Cachet home communities!

Finding your dream home at the website is an easy thing to do. Select the home type, the location and the price range that you want; you’ll be directed to the available home and community. Your decision to live in one of Cachet home will never be a wrong one. You’ll enjoy elegant life style and the most inclusive of the finest facilities. Moreover, each community offers comfortable and friendly neighborhood. Isn’t it a perfect place to live?

Read more...

Moving with Kids

At some point in your life, you will have to face the prospect of moving and organising all that’s required to do so. From deciding on removalists to updating the contents insurance. Moving is never easy, but it’s even less so if you have kids. Moving can either be a new adventure or an extremely disruptive and traumatic time for children. To make it less of the latter, you need to give your kids some special attention to facilitate their transition.

Make it just about the move

It’s important to think about the reason you are moving. If the reason is something that is already affecting your children try to find closure before you move. After becoming divorced, one of my friends moved interstate with her children. Trying to deal with the divorce of their parents and fit into a completely new community was a lot for the children to process. She wished she hadn’t moved so far away so quickly so that the kids had the time to adjust to their new family situation before they had the added pressures of going to a new school and making new friends. Most kids thrive on familiarity and routine so try not to make the move such a life-changing event.

Involve them in the process
It’s crucial to prepare your children both physically and emotionally to move. Regardless of the situation or circumstances, the best way to do this is to involve them in the process and to talk to them about it. Try to give them as much information about the move as soon as possible and answer their questions truthfully. Even if you are moving a long way away honesty is the best policy. Give them as much information about the new home, city and state (or country) as you can. Maintain a positive attitude, but make sure that you provide thoughtful responses to all of their questions regardless of if they are positive or negative.

Even if the move means a bigger house, lawn or a safer community, your kids might be jilted by the frightening aspects of the change. Be prepared to give them time to realise the benefits of the move.

Limit the impact
After the move try and get your child’s rooms in order as quickly as possible. Also try to get yourselves back into a new schedule and routine quickly. The faster you do this the easier the move will be on your children.

Remember, moving is never easy but eventually your kids will adapt to the change. Maintain a positive attitude and get them involved in their new community through organised sports and activities as much as you can – we are sure this will help them adjust tremendously to their new home and environment.
image:canstockphoto.com

Read more...

What did They Carry?

Happy Monday, everyone!

Today I’ll share two pics that I captured a few days ago. Monday is holiday for our little eating place. We don’t open on Mondays.

My husband was going out of town since yesterday night with his friend. I prefer to rest today. My body needs it!

A cute doll

Mannequins. I noticed it after seeing for a while first.

Blue Monday

Read more...

Mute Swan

It’s my very late entry for CC. I still have pictures of these elegant birds that I haven’t yet posted here. These mute swans live in Swan Lake area, inside Nusantara Flower Park (Cipanas, West Java, Indonesia).

What I most love about them is that they are monogamous critter. Couple will share in caring the nest. Once they have baby swans, the couple will also share in looking for food.

Read more...