Binturong (Arctictis Binturong)

Hey...do you bring something for me?

I smell something nice here...

 Binturong also known as the bearcat; but he is not a bear or a cat. As a nocturnal critter, binturong sleeps on branches. The body is covered with coarse and thick black fur. It has lighter or silver fur on its face, to make it appear larger to other animals (source:wikipedia). This binturong lives at the Ragunan Zoo (Jakarta, Indonesia).

Camera Critters

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How to Help Small Children Cope When a Newborn Sibling Arrives

The trick to keeping a young sibling happy when a new baby arrives is to make the sibling feel special and want to help. A smooth transition can be made if the experience is a positive one.

Prepare them

- Take the time to explain to your youngster that a new baby will be joining your family in an upcoming season. “This summer you’ll have a baby brother!” Keep the exact date vague. Children do not understand why babies do not always come on a specific date.

- Encourage realistic expectations. Avoid making false promises. An angry child will use a false promise as “proof” to validate their feelings. It can also cause an issue with trust. The new baby will not be an adequate playmate for the child for many months, and pretending it will be will only cause more issues later.

- Have the child help with preparations. Encourage them to feel good about doing something for the new baby. Even if the child is only carrying a couple of diapers into the nursery, praise them for a job well done. Tell them what a good helper they are. Discuss how they can continue to help once the baby arrives.

- Talk to your child about having a new sibling. Find out what, if any, fears they have. How do they feel? It is important to emphasize your love for the child will not change once the baby arrives. It is just as important to acknowledge their feelings.

- Stay consistent. Keep with your child’s current schedule. Maintain bedtime rituals.

Sibling birthday – celebrate!

-Arrange for your child to sleep over at a favorite relative or friend’s house once labor has begun. The birthing process can be frightening to children. Better to have the child with someone who will make them feel special.

-Prepare a small gift bag or gift for the older sibling to receive when he or she meets the baby for the first time. Think of a birthday party goodie bag. It will further support positive association.

When the baby arrives home

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- Find ways the older child can help. Being useful will make them feel good.

- Stick to the same routine with the older child. Meals, playtime, and bedtime are all important rituals to children. This will also help the baby adjust into the routine of the household.

- Dedicate 1 on 1 time to your older child. Babies need a lot of attention, and the older child may feel slighted. By taking as little as 15 minutes a day to spend alone with your older child, you will reinforce the bond that you share.

It can be tricky to introduce a new baby into an existing family. Keep things in a positive light, acknowledge the older child’s feelings, and staying consistent will help the entire family adjust.

Author Biography: This article was written by Briana Kelly, who regularly writes articles and guest blogs on the subject of childcare and parenting. She writes on behalf of Giraffe Childcare, a Montessori School based in Dublin, Ireland.

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How to Make a Flower Press

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Pressing flowers is a very creative way to preserve floral mementos important occasions or places you have visited. Making your own flower press is not hard and can be done with materials around the home or purchased at the hardware shop. Pressed flowers make lovely gifts and cards or can be used to decorate the home. Other items that can be decorated with flowers include bookmarks, journals and notebooks. Pressing flowers can be a way of reducing stress and a peaceful way to express your creativity. Next time you order flowers online or bring home flowers from the florist or garden consider putting one or two aside to press.

Choosing Flowers for Pressing

• The best time to pick flowers for pressing is on a dry day in the afternoon. If you pick them too late they may have wilted slightly so try to catch them at a time when they are dry but not wilting.
• The best flowers to use are flat ones like violets, daisies, pansies and geraniums. Herbs such as lavender, mint and sage look nice when arranged around pressed flowers.
• Grass, weeds and fronds can make an artistic embellishment on a pressed flower arrangement so remember to collect some of this.
• Bright coloured autumn leaves, seeds and bark also contrast well when arranged with pressed coloured flowers.

Preparing Flowers

• If you have chosen flat flowers such as violets they can be pressed whole, without any stem.
• With thicker flowers like roses, remove the flower head then pull the stem out before removing the best petals. The best petals are the ones with no spots or wrinkles and lay as flat as possible.
• If you are out on a bushwalk or on holiday and you find something that you think you may want to press wrap it in a tissue and keep it. Once back in your accommodation you can press your holiday flower inside a phone book or a bible using news or tissue paper to protect the book.  

Making a Flower Press

• Cut two pieces of wood to your desired size. Consider the size of the plants and flowers you want to press. Between the size of an A4 page and an A3 page is a good size.

• Drill a hole in each corner of both the wood pieces. Match the drill bit with the screws you intend to use.

• Trim cardboard into pieces that fit between the pieces of wood. The corners will need to be trimmed at an angle to make room for the screws.

• Repeat the same trimming process with blotting paper.

• Alternate the layers of cardboard and blotting paper and stack between the wood pieces. Place two pieces of blotting paper then one piece of cardboard. Continue this pattern until you have reached your desired thickness.

• Place your prepared flowers, leaves and herbs between the two pieces of blotting paper and cardboard. You can put as many specimens as you like into the press as long as you have enough blotting paper between cardboard pages.

• Push the screws up from the bottom of the press and slide the washer and wing nut on the exposed screw. Tighten the wing nut onto the pieces of wood. Tightening the wing nut is what creates the pressure that presses the flowers.

Alternatives for Flower Pressing

• Strapping 3 belts or secure straps around your wood will have a similar effect as long as you can secure them tightly enough.
• Ironing flowers that are secured in between two pieces of wax paper works however long term health of the pressed flower is not guaranteed.
• For a makeshift flower press simply layer unprinted newspaper and two layers of tissue paper inside a phone book or other heavy book and weigh the book down with other heavy objects.

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Today is My Husband's Birthday!

/source:zazzle.com/

 You're the reason my life is worth living
You're the reason every day is worth waking up to
You're the reason there's a smile on my face
You're the reason the sun shines on me every morning
You're the reason I want to celebrate every single day of our lives
Wishing you a very Happy Birthday
May you get everything you hoped, dreamed and wished for.

(source:wishafriend.com) 
I dedicated this post to my birthday's husband :)

BlueMonday 

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The Resting Flamingos

Captured at the Ragunan Zoo (Jakarta, Indonesia)

Some interesting facts about the flamingos:

Flamingos live an average of 20 to 30 years. They rest by standing on one leg. The ‘knee’ of the flamingo is in fact an ankle joint and the lower leg bends forward.

Their pink or reddish color comes from the algae, diatoms, and small crustaceans the birds eat. They also eat aquatic insects. 

Flamingos eat with their head upside down in the water, so they can suck water and food in with the front of their bill. Mud and water drain out the back of the bill. The food is caught by finger-like projections called lamellae in the bill/mouth. Flamingos hold their breath when feeding.

Source: thejunglestore.com

Camera Critters

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Is Your Child Suffering from ADD?

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Are your kids very naughty and troublesome? Do they give you a lot of headache and are a real pain in the back? However hard you scream they just simply ignore your warnings and pleadings and leave you exhausted and worn out. Naughtiness can be quite common in children but at times they just cross the boundaries. At that point of time it is essential that you take the matter seriously and consult a specialist and check whether your kids are suffering from ADD or Attention Deficiency Disorder.

What is ADD?

Speaking broadly, ADD is a chronic disorder or a group of symptoms that affect the power of concentration, focus, mood and socializing skills. ADD or ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) as it is more commonly known nowadays is quite common in children. About the 1-5% kids in the world suffer from ADD and in the US alone about 10% of kids are found to be having ADD. Generally boys are 3 times more susceptible to be having ADD than girls. It is one of the most common mental disorders in children and is generally observed in kids below 12.

How would you know if your kid has ADD?

·         Your kids suffer from a deficiency in attention which is the most common symptom of ADD.

·         He/she is too fidgety, squirms all the time and is very restless

·         Very forgetful in nature, misplaces things and cannot remember to pick them up or do their tasks

·         Being very fidgety they have difficulty remaining seated and so, avoid things that require some levels of concentration

·         Do not follow instructions and are easily distracted by sights and sounds. This results in making very careless mistakes

·         Suffers from excessive talking and interrupts and intrudes upon others. Always in the want of attention

·         Cannot wait for their turn to come

·         They have a tendency to daydream and keep themselves away from reality

·         They are totally disorganized and have a tendency to avoid the details that go into every action

·         Most of the times they jump from one task to another and so, their tasks remain half-finished

·         They have a tendency to throw tantrums and scream about

These are some of the general symptoms that are present in ADD affected kids. Having found out the symptoms, you may wonder how to treat this and find a cure for it.

How do you deal with children having ADD?

Before going into medication, there are some simple ways to treat your kids with ADD problems. Basically, have a talk with the teacher of your kids’ class and make them place your kids on the front benches. Also, try to maintain eye to eye contact with your kids and be very precise with the instructions that you give them. Repeat the instructions if necessary and be sure that they understand your instructions very well. Make sure that they do not face changes in their environments quite often as they cannot handle changes very well. Do not give them multiple instructions by just cramming them into your child’s brain – they will all be jumbled up. Be patient and calm with your kids (this can be very tough) and try to be creative in your approach.

Is medication necessary for treating ADD?

Medications may be required if only a psychiatrist refers it. Before that try to change the food pattern of your kid and see if it yields any results. Try to include more proteins in their diets which would help them concentrate better. Fresh fruits, raw vegetables, yoghurt etc can be natural cures for them. Studies on animals have shown that long chain omega-3 fatty acids can have a positive effect upon the brain and these can be found in salmon and walnuts.

In case of medication, the commonly prescribed drug Ritalin increases the secretion of dopamine, the neurotransmitter in the brain. These are kind of stimulants that do not however cause stimulation in the kids but rather help to co-ordinate between the different areas of the brain better.  If administered in the correct dosage they would start working within 45 minutes. It has been found that about 80% of the kids with ADD have responded well to these stimulants. However, there are some side-effects like a decrease in appetite, problems in sleep, sudden involuntary movements, nervousness and mood alterations.

Having gone through a lot of information, it is clear that ADD can be cured with the active participation of parents and others. Parents need to play an active and patient role in helping their kids get into physical activities that increase the levels of dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin in the brain. However ADD is not a disease but a common disorder and there is nothing to be much worried about.

Dr. Olivia Jane Allen is a senior researcher and has wide experience in cases involving about depression treatments, psychiatric services. She writes articles on various aspects of how modern life influences human behavior. Other than her professional field, she loves gardening and cooking. She is happily married with three children.

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Shoulder Pain – When is It Serious?

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Grating pain in the joint, tearing or pinching pain in the muscle; shoulder pain can be incredibly debilitating. Think of how many times a day you move your shoulders. It is one of the most worked joints in our bodies so it is not surprising that many people experience reoccurring shoulder pain.

Some shoulder injuries are little more than a passing annoyance and some require medical attention to avoid prolonged effects. It is can initially be difficult to know when you are experiencing a niggling pain that will go away and when it may be a more serious condition which requires medical treatment or shoulder surgery.

There can be many causes of shoulder pain: incorrect posture while using a computer, performing repetitive tasks, gym or sports injuries, clumsiness, arthritis, and whiplash. Many times we do not even know how our shoulder injury occurred. Some things to consider regarding your shoulder pain:

How did the injury occur? When did the pain start? Your doctor will want to know how the injury occurred. If you are unsure your shoulder pain may be the result of repetitive strain or from incorrect posture at work. A desk, which is too tall or a keyboard incorrectly positioned can strain your shoulders.

How long have you had pain? Sometimes an injury will repair itself with a little rest. Continuous pain, which lasts a number of days, is a sign of a more serious issue. Your doctor will want to know if you experience pain doing certain activities or also when resting your shoulder.

Have you tried over the counter pain medication or hot and cold compresses? Less serious injuries will often be temporarily relieved by over the counter medications, rest and hot or cold compresses. Continuous use of any medication is not encouraged and medical care should be sort if any medication is being used to treat prolonged pain.

Do you have a history of gallbladder problems, or is there a history of the issue in your family? Gallbladder issues can cause referred pain in the right shoulder. Your shoulder pain could be an indicator of some other issue.

Are you experiencing shortness of breath? Sudden shoulder or arm pain can be a symptom of heart attack. If you experience sudden shoulder or arm pain and shortness of breath you should seek medical attention immediately.

If you are concerned about any shoulder injuries or any shoulder pain you should always consult a medical professional who can refer you to the relevant specialist.

Sharon Freeman is a surgeon who writes about Shoulder Surgery and health information for companies like Kaliper Orthopedics.

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