Its Finally Almost Christmas!!!

Christmas will be here in a few weeks. Have you gotten all of your shopping done? I think the best shopping is online shopping. When your in a crunch and you cannot make it to the Battlefield Mall, Walmart or Toys 'r' Us, Try online shopping. I have found that is one of my favorite things to do. Also Many sites have free shipping if you spend over a certain amount. Another good thing is you can find a lot of coupons online for local stores. I know when I signed up with Toys 'r' Us' and Old Navy's email club I got all kinds of great deals. The other good thing is that if you do not like what you ordered usually returns are free and you can either return them through mail or go to the actual store and do you returns instantly.

Also many of the stores you go to at the mall have their own website. Sometimes the website has more to offer rather than going to the actual department store. This year shop a lot but try to not to over spoil your children.

 One Tip this year I know my opinion piece says otherwise but if you have children you should definitely spoil them at Christmas time. That is one exception I am all for.

HED: Is too much love bad for kids?

DEK: My opinion on parents who do too much for their  

     kinds

BYLINE: Heather Lanning

WORD COUNT: 558

LIST SOURCE NAMES AND PHONE NUMBERS:

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I have noticed that many kids who have been what we like to call "babied" seem to be the ones with lots of problems in life. My question is too much love just as bad as no love at all?

 I have seen a lot of kids who were either spoiled or not given enough discipline turn out to make bad decisions in life, or seem to not excel as quickly as others in grade school. I think this has a lot to do with the parenting. I also feel this "spoiling your child" has gotten worse in today’s modern world. A Time/CNN poll finds that 80% of people think kids today are more spoiled than kids of 10 or 15 years ago, and two-thirds of parents admit that their kids are spoiled.

If a child is helped with everything all of the time, when it comes to being an independent learner in school I don’t believe they want to or can do it. I think this hurts a child. Parents think they are helping and just showing love but I don't feel they are. I know of a child who is the youngest of four. He is the baby of the family and his siblings are much older than him. He has been spoiled from day one of his life. Not only given everything but also given an abundant amount of love and help with everything. When he entered grade school he did not want to do anything or even try. He was uncooperative and disrespectful. His parents were astonished that their child would ever act this way because he has always been good and there has always been a lot of love in their home. He has also been far behind the other kids in school and the teachers were wondering if he should be held back.

     Hearing that your last child might need to be held back would be very upsetting to a parent. You might ask yourself "What did I do wrong?" My answer would have to be that this happens because this child was not pushed to be independent at a young age. He had never really been in trouble, and when he was it did not last very long. This type of parenting is what I believe hurts a child just as much as a parent who does not give their child any love at all. You need a happy medium.

     What is that old saying about hard love? Well it implies that the harder love you are given the better you turn out. Now, I am not saying be mean to your child but I believe that good lessons, discipline, and independence at a young age are the best ways to help a child grow up and excel in life. Sometimes there is a thing as too much love. In today’s society I feel fewer lessons are learned, and if you have money even fewer lessons are learned by children. I think we need to remember the lessons we were taught and remember to pass those onto our children so they make good decisions in life. Dr. Phil says, "Your child does not have to love you every minute of every day. He'll get over the disappointment of having been told "no." But he won't get over the effects of being spoiled".

 http://www.drphil.com/articles.article/943

http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101010806/cover.html

Fa La La La La

These two videos I thought you all might be entertained by. I thoroughly enjoyed them.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7QfAaPZpK4


This child has other videos he does to. They are all pretty funny. I like this one a lot


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMgyi57s-A4

This guy you would think be a better speech giver seeing that he has had so many degrees. This is really no joke either. It may seem like one but he serious!

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I love staying in this time of year and drinking yummy drinks like these: Plus you can make these for gifts as well.  just make this mix and put it in a jar with lid and a pretty ribbon around it.  These recipes found at Country living.com

Hot Cocoa

• 3/4 cup(s) quality unsweetened cocoa
• 6 ounce(s) quality semisweet choc., chopped
• 1/4 cup(s) sugar
• 2 tablespoon(s) sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoon(s) cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tablespoon(s) pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon(s) ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) ground clove

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Directions

1. Make the mix:
   Place all ingredients in a food  processor fitted with a metal blade and process just until mixture is powdery -- about 30 seconds. Be careful not to over process. Store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Include peppermint "stirring" sticks for added flavor and color. To make hot chocolate, combine 1 cup of milk and 2 tablespoons of this mix in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until chocolate is incorporated and mixture is warmed through. Serve immediately.

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Spiced Warm Cider- This is another favorite of mine

 

• 1/2 gallon(s) apple cider
• 1/3 cup(s) dark brown sugar
• 2 stick(s) cinnamon
• 5  whole allspice berries
• 1  (1/2 inch by 1/2 inch) chunk fresh ginger, peeled
• 3  whole cloves
• 8 slice(s) orange

In a 3-quart saucepan, combine cider, sugar, cinnamon sticks, allspice berries, ginger, and cloves. Heat to a simmer and allow to cook 20 minutes.strain into a punch bowl and garnish with orange slices. Serve warm.

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White Spiced Coffee- I have not tried this one but it sounds delicious

• 3 cup(s) whole milk
• 1 cup(s) whole organic coffee beans, lightly cracked
• 1 1/2 stick(s) (3 inches long) cinnamon sticks
• 4 whole(s) green cardamom pods
• 1/4 cup(s) honey
• 2 tablespoon(s) dark rum, such as Mount Gay, optional

1. Place the milk and crushed coffee beans in a saucepan. Heat the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, about 7 minutes. Immediately remove from the heat and let the beans steep in the milk for 15 minutes.
2. Strain the coffee mixture and transfer to the jar of a blender. Discard the crushed coffee beans. Add the cinnamon sticks, cardamom, and honey to the steeped milk and blend on high speed until the spices are coarsely ground, about 30 seconds.
3. Strain the liquid back into the saucepan and discard the ground spices. Rewarm the spiced coffee over medium-high heat until the liquid is hot and steaming. Add rum, if desired. Pour into warmed coffee mugs, and serve hot.

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Time saver: Use a heavy-bottomed skillet to crack coffee beans and spices. Place in a sealable plastic bag before crushing.

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 Another great idea for a Christmas gift is a candle and what is even better is that I have  the steps on how to make your own candle.

Making Candles

What you need:

You'll need wax, wicks, putty, a pencil, and a candy thermometer, all of which can be found at a craft store such as Michaels. Wax is sold in blocks, sheets, and shavings, to be melted on a stove or in a microwave.

 






 
Pouring the Wax



Wrap one end of the wick around a pencil. Set pencil on egg cup, suspending the wick. With putty, secure wick's metal clip to bottom of cup. In a double boiler, melt wax according to package directions; use a candy thermometer to gauge temperature. Pour wax in cup; allow to fully cool. Trim wick to 1/4 inch. You can see a picture of this at http://www.countryliving.com/crafts/projects/how-to-make-a-candle-1110




Hurricane Candles

:http://www.countryliving.com/crafts/projects/how-to-make-a-candle-1110


Place three hurricanes on newspaper in a well-ventilated area. With a grease pencil, mark where you'll be placing the doilies to ensure even spacing. Put the doilies face down on the newspaper, spray lightly with spray mount, and press to the glass, smoothing as you go. Once dry, set the hurricanes securely on the stairs or arrange on a table and insert the pillar candles. To decorate votives, trim the doilies to size, spray with spray mount, and adhere to glass. For variation, use doilies in different sizes. Tip: The number of hours a pillar candle burns before the wick is buried is usually equal to the pillar's diameter. (These four-inch-wide candles burned for four hours.) To resurface the wick, score the candle's circumference with a knife.

Candlelight can instantly transform any room into a cozy and inviting space. But as with any open flame, caution is necessary. For your safety, remember never to leave candles unattended, around playing children or pets, or near a draft.

Tis The Season

Keeping Warm this Holiday Season::
 Found at http://www.chiff.com/a/cut-heat-bills.htm

1. Try solar panels
2. Have a wood burning stove installed
3. Install an automatic thermostat to keep your house at 68 degrees whiles your not home and 55 degrees while you are sleeping
4. Fill all cracks
5. Put up clear plastic insulatiion around each window
6. Use door insulartors
 Go the website above for more great tips

Staying Healthy This Year:
Found at http://personaltrainerz.com/5-ways-to-stay-healthy-during-the-winter-holidays-2/1376

1. Keep fruit and veggies around the house so your not just snacking on christmas cookies
2. We all know holiday food is amazing but dont over eat
3. Make sure that you get enough sleep
4. I know it is cold outside but stay exercising during this time of year
5. Also, Finals are coming up and try to find ways to stay stress free. Take some time for yourself if you feel stressed. Breathe in deeply and out and few times. Also have a cup of coffee and relax during study breaks

Some fun trends:
 found at Style.com

1. I know they look a little funny and they are way old school but fur vests are really popular. Found at http://www.style.com/trendsshopping/trendreport/072610_Trend_Reports/FurReal/
2. Velvet dress pants. I saw a picture of Angelina Jolie wearing them. She pulled them off well.
3. The boyfiend jean. You can find these compfy jeans at Express.com
4. Also wearing the same color but a different shade. For example if you chose green, where all green but different shades that go together.  You can see some pics of this at http://www.style.com/trendsshopping/trendreport/072610_Trend_Reports/HueNew/