Real Life Solutions

No one knows the exact number of people dealing with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) on a regular basis each year, but some reports state it may be as much as 20%. Whether you’re actually suffering from SAD or merely have a case of the winter blues, you may be looking for natural winter mood boosters you can use. You may want to try some of these ideas to improve your mood during the colder months and see if they help you.

The brain uses neurotransmitters to allow brain cells to communicate with one another. An imbalance in neurotransmitters can produce symptoms of depression, obesity, carbohydrate cravings, migraine headaches, and anxiety. If you can build up the neurotransmitters such as melatonin or serotonin, you can effectively improve your mood during the winter months.

One way to increase serotonin is to take St. John’s Wort which has been used for centuries to treat depression, melancholy, or hysteria. Build up serotonin levels in your brain and you may notice a marked improvement in your sleep patterns, sex drive, and body temperature. St. John’s Wort, a natural winter mood booster, is used in some countries rather than prescribing Prozac or other anti-depressants.

Besides St. John’s Wort, you may also want to consider taking Gingko Biloba or Ginseng. Both of these are said to improve both mood and symptoms of depression. You may be able to find these herbs, along with St. John’s Wort, at discount stores or dollar stores, but you may want to visit a health food store to determine which the best choice is for you.

Another natural way to boost your mood during the winter months is to get outside as much as possible. Natural daylight is one way to increase the production of serotonin. Of course, with the weather being colder, you may have to bundle up and brave the cold to get the extra sunlight, but your brain and your mood will thank you.

Increase your intake of vitamin B6, a precursor to creating serotonin, which is found in fish, lentils, potatoes, spinach, carrots, and sunflower seeds. L-tryptophan, another amino acid precursor, is also great for boosting moods. You can find L-tryptophan in foods such as baked potatoes with their skins on, roasted pumpkin seeds, and kelp.

Despite the fact you may not feel like doing much, exercise is also a good natural winter mood booster. If you take up skiing, snow-shoeing, or some other sport which will get you outside, you’ll receive the benefit of the natural sunlight as well as exercise to help you feel better. Of course, any type of exercise will make you feel better, so if you can’t exercise outside, doing exercises indoors will suffice.

If you’re experiencing symptoms of winter blues or SAD, you may want to give one or more of these natural winter mood boosters a try. You may find using these ideas can help you look forward to the winter months rather than dreading them.

Everyone appreciates home decorating ideas when planning to make improvements to their home.  You may have visions of your own about how your new home décor would look but it’s always nice to have an alternative plan.  There’s definitely home decorating ideas that you haven’t discovered. There are constantly changes being made regarding trends in home decorating.  Checking out new home decorating ideas may give birth to a new home decorating plan for your space.

Being able to find home decorating ideas is a treat but having access to free home decorating ideas is a real gift.  Good news, there are free home decorating ideas available to you.  Often when you pick up a magazine, perhaps while waiting at the doctor’s office, something in the home decorating section catches your eye.  Relaying tips and techniques for home improvements, this magazine is offering you free home decorating ideas. Another great source of information regarding home décor and decorating is a catalog from major stores such as Sears, Zellers or Ikea.  Advertising their products, they use illustrations of fully decorated rooms.  Browsing catalogs such as these you’ll find many free home decorating ideas.

Taking a trip to your local furniture store or department store is sure to provide free home decorating ideas.  Many stores have displays which are regularly changes to share new and trendy home décor.  The front window of a furniture store is a great place to catch a glimpse of beautifully arranged home décor.  Again, window displays such as this can be considered free home decorating ideas.

One of the best sources of free home decorating ideas is the Internet.  There are hundreds of sites on the Internet related to home decorating with thousands of free home decorating ideas.  There are sites which explain in depth the various home decorating designs and offer ideas to help you achieve these styles in your own home.  Some sites offer step-by-step instructions for do-it-yourself home decorating and renovating projects. These free home decorating ideas are your chance to create rooms and spaces similar to those decorated by professional interior decorators.  With the aid of these free home decorating ideas, you’ll be equipped to transform your home into something you only dream of.  You may be very surprised at what you can actually accomplish as an inexperienced interior decorator.

Decorating a home or space is a very exciting activity.  It does require a whole lot of effort regarding planning and the actual decorating, but the results are definitely worth it.  Being able to sit back after living through weeks or renovations and home decorating is a delight.  Being able to look around your home at the beautiful changes and realize you are responsible, that feeling is overwhelming.  To know that you were able to achieve these results by using free home decorating ideas may be astonishing.  You may feel so great about your accomplishment that you’ll be eager to take on another room.  When you are ready to begin another home decorating or renovating project, you’ll be able to plan it with added confidence realizing there are thousands of free home decorating ideas to help you out.

As temperatures soar during the summer, many people prefer to remain indoors in the cool air conditioning.  Unfortunately, that means children and teens will be spending more time in front of a screen and less time using their minds.  Encourage your children to plan for summer reading to keep their minds sharp.

Is your child a reluctant reader?  Did they struggle during the school year?  There are some things that you can do to help them learn to love reading.  Before starting on the ideas, however, you may want to have your child’s vision checked.

Many children love learning until they actually start school.  In some cases the reason they don’t like school is because they have problems seeing the chalk or white board.  Take them to the eye doctor to rule out a vision problem.

One way to instill a love of reading within your child is to let them see you reading and enjoying it.  If you enjoy reading, your child will see that it can be something they can do for entertainment as well as learning.  Of course, if they’re entertained while they learn, that’s quite alright.

Instead of watching television each night, why not have a family summer reading hour.  Choose a book that everyone will enjoy and then take turns reading the story out loud.  Make the book come alive by reading the parts with different voices.  Perhaps you could act the parts out without the book for a change of pace.

Most city libraries have a summer reading program.  Sign your child up and encourage them to actually compete in the program.  Some libraries have a contest for children reading the most books during the summer, and many give away books at the end of the program.

Before going to the library, find out some things your child is interested in.  Go to the card catalog, if your library hasn’t entered the 21st century, and look up several books about that topic on your child’s reading level.  If they are very reluctant to read, you may consider allowing them to choose a book that is much lower than what you feel they are able to read.  Reading a lower level book would be better than not reading at all.

Let them read comic books instead of chapter books.  Some children, especially those that are struggling, prefer comic books because the text is large, the sentences are short, and the entire story isn’t that long.  They feel they actually can read and understand comics better because the artwork helps tell the story.

The library is a great source of information.  Whether your child is looking for books, magazines, or reference materials, they’re sure to find what they’re looking for.  Help your child plan summer reading to keep their reading skills sharp or improve them.

Father’s Day is the perfect day to celebrate our Dads. Finding the right Fathers day Gift to give is easier than you may think. Younger children may have a hard time figuring out what to get their Fathers for Fathers day, here is a resource for you.

There are a number of Fathers Day Gift ideas for younger kids to become involved in. Let’s explore some of them.

Father’s Day will be here soon. Your kids are probably trying to come up with unique ideas this year. To help them, here are some Father’s Day ideas for younger kids.

• Make a Father’s Day card using construction paper, crayons and draw dad on the front with the words “I Love You Dad!” Mom can also download the many coloring templates kids can use to glue on to construction boards to make larger 8-1/2×11 cards. .
•  Kids can take their teddy bears and dress them up with a hat, tie, and glasses….and place a Happy Father’s Day sign for the bear to hold.
• Kids can help you make a Father’s Day breakfast for dad and present it to him either in bed or at the kitchen table.
• Kids can help mom make gingerbread cookies and using piping to outline the facial features. It can then be glued to a piece of cardboard and the kids can decorate the cardboard with dad’s favorite things!
• The kids can present dad with a card containing a list of chores they will do for dad for a week.
• They can also make a story book using construction paper, to tell about their dad and why he is so special!
• Mom can bake dad’s favorite cake and the kids can decorate it with dad’s favorite sports games, such as baseballs, footballs, soccer, or basketball.

Kids love to draw, paint and mold. Using some clay, they can make dad a handprint and sign their names on the palms. He would certainly love that! In fact, kids also love to build things, so why not build day a special kite (with the help of mom, of course), then the entire family can enjoy this wonderful present.

Special t-shirt painted by the kids; a card made of construction paper and decorated for dad; a picture frame made out of two pieces of cardboard and painted by the kids; or dad’s favorite cookies made by the kids with a little help from mom. If dad is a golfer, why not have mom buy a box of golf balls and have the kids paint their initials on each one. How about taking a small Xmas tree and turning it into a Father’s Day tree. Decorate it with his favorite candies and cookies. Or if dad is a baseball or football fan, the kids can decorate it by taking white Christmas balls and drawing baseball stripes on them; and making cookies in the shape of footballs using gingerbread dough! A baseball cap with dad’s initial can adorn the top of the tree, or you can find a mini sized football helmet and add his name to it as well.

More often than not, dad would probably receive a tie as a gift. Well, make this particular tie special. Let the kids be as creative as they want with paints and sparkles. Does dad lose the remote control often? Why not make him a TV remote holder using cardboard and fabric. The kids can decorate the cardboard with glow in the dark paint color, so that no matter where the holder is, he can always find it!

No matter what Father’s Day handmade gift ideas you come up with, there are plenty of ideas you and the kids can come up with. Don’t forget the handmade ashtray; your dad can use it as a paperweight, too!

Father’s Day ideas for younger kids can be achieved by asking them what they would like to make for dad; or perhaps buy for day. One thing though, he may not want any more ties! Make a Happy Father’s Day Sign using construction paper, and hang it in the kitchen or living room area. Dad will be so happy to see how much effort his children have put into making his day a special one!

Springtime is a great time to spend the weekends doing things together as a family. Not only does the warmer weather encourage everyone to get outside, it will also help everyone feel more like exercising after a long winter cooped up inside. Use some of these ideas of springtime activities for the whole family to enjoy.

New life abounds outside. There are trees budding and flowers blooming everywhere you look. This is the perfect time to start planning a garden to supply your family with fresh vegetables during the summer and fall months.

Begin by starting seeds of any vegetables you want inside and then transplant them into your prepared garden when the threat of frost has passed. Mark off the garden to indicate where you want each type of plant to be planted. Or you can choose to plant your garden using the square foot plan, where you create a grid and plant in those squares. Whichever plan you choose for your garden, now is the time to think about and plan for it.

Take the time to enjoy the outside and have fun at the same time. Let your inner child out as you and your children blow bubbles with home-made bubble solution. Here’s how you make it:  Put ¼ cup of corn syrup in a bowl. Add 4 cups of water followed by 1 cup of liquid dish soap. Stir well. You can use a wire coat hanger, pipe cleaners, or jewelry wire to make a bubble wand. Now take time to enjoy making bubbles with your children.

If each member of your family has a bicycle, why not take them out, clean them up, and then go for a bike ride? This family activity is great exercise and will help you get the kinks out of your body after being indoors. You may want to have one adult up front and one following behind the group for safety.

Go for a hike and look for signs of spring. You will probably find crocus, daffodils, and violets along with other native flowers. Don’t be surprised if you also find ladybugs, bees, and wasps. You might even find some small frogs or toads along the way if you’re near water.

Springtime is also a great time to go to the nearest zoo. Many animals have their young during the spring, so you may see some babies while you’re there. Take the time to see if the zoo has a website so you know what the layout of the zoo is, where your family’s favorite animals are housed, and where the restrooms and food pavilions are.

Finally, you can always go fly a kite. Springtime winds are usually perfect for kite flying. You can purchase kites for less than $10, often much less than that. Find an open field, a breezy day, and then let the kites fly. Don’t be surprised if younger children are mesmerized by the kites as they soar through the air.

Be honest, the warmer weather of springtime is beckoning you to go outside and have some fun! Use any of these springtime activities for the whole family, or come up with some ideas of your own. After being indoors all winter long, your whole family will enjoy spending some quality time together outdoors.
 

Being a mom doesn’t mean you have to give up your sense of style.  While you might not opt for the miniskirts that you wore in your pre-parenting days, there are plenty of spring fashions that are perfect for moms.  Here are some styles that are hot this season:

Metallic Fabrics

Metallics are eye-catching, and they can be paired with a variety of colors.  Accessories and outerwear in metallic fabrics are great for adding life to your wardrobe.  Best of all, many metallic pieces can go from casual to formal in a snap.

Metallic purses are especially versatile.  Many of them can be converted from shoulder bags to clutches, eliminating the need to change purses for different looks.  Some even have removable handles for added versatility.  And it’s not necessary to pay big bucks for them.  You can find designer-inspired bags at a fraction of the cost in many discount stores.

Splashes of Color

Neutrals are popular this spring, but they are often paired with bright or colorful accessories.  If you don’t feel that bright colors are flattering on you, using them sparingly can make your outfit pop without being “too much”.

Jewelry, hair accessories, belts, tote bags, and shoes are good places to start if you want to inject a little color into your wardrobe.  Neutral dresses with bright floral accents are also good for adding just the right amount of color.  And if you feel comfortable in them, all-over brights are popular as well.

Ethnic Prints and Accents

Styles inspired by safari wear, the Far East, and other global customs add interest to spring fashion.  There are a variety of ways you could incorporate this into your wardrobe.

If you want to be bold, you could choose an entire ensemble based on an ethnic theme.  An ethnic shirt or dress with neutral pants, shoes, and accessories is also stunning.  Or you could choose to use some eye-catching ethnic accessories to complement tamer clothing.

Trendy Diaper Bags

Moms with younger kids have lots of attractive diaper bag options these days.  More and more of them are being designed with Mom’s fashion sense in mind.  Designer diaper bags offer a lot in the way of luxury, but there are also fashionable bags available that do not cost as much.

Patent is hot this spring, and it works nicely for diaper bags because it’s easy to keep clean.  Bright floral prints are also nice for carrying the little one’s necessities.  If you can’t find a diaper bag that suits your tastes, consider a roomy tote bag as an alternative.

Moms have lots of options when it comes to spring fashion.  Many of the latest styles come in fabrics that are comfortable, durable, and easy to care for.  This gives moms the opportunity to enjoy both style and comfort every day.

Digital Scrapbooking:  What’s It All About?
Scrapbooking is all the rage in the craft industry these days.  From being considered a trend to being given its own holiday, scrapbooking continues to excite crafters and draws more people to it each year.  What is digital scrapbooking?  And will it change the craft for the better?

For anyone who may be new to scrapbooking, here’s the basic idea.  You take photographs and mementos and save them in a book.  That’s the traditional use of a scrapbook.  However, the craft of scrapbooking includes using themed paper, stickers, journaling boxes, and more to make the page do more than display photos.  It also can tell a story.

Many people have digital cameras now rather than the kind that you have to have developed.  By having the photos in a digital format, they are much easier to manipulate and edit, and you don’t have to worry about ruining the photograph.  You can save changes made as a separate file, so you’ll always have the original version.

Another benefit of using digital cameras is that you can make multiples copies of the photographs that you can pass out to friends and family on CDs.  They may then choose to have the photos printed out, or they can use them as a screensaver on their own computer.  You have so many more options with digital photographs.

With digital scrapbooking, you can still incorporate your pictures into scrapbook pages, you’re just doing it all on your computer.  You may have to purchase a digital scrapbooking software program.  Head over to your favorite search engine and type in ‘digital scrapbooking software’ and you’re likely to find there are many.  Some of them are available for free.

Most digital scrapbooking software creates templates, or has templates you can use, that are already planned out and ready to put your photo into.  This is much easier than grabbing glue, paper, stickers, and other supplies to create a similar page.  With this type of software the possibilities are endless!

After you’ve completed your digital scrapbook pages, you can print them out in order to have a “hard” copy of your pages to put into traditional scrapbooks.  You can also frame them individually.  In addition, you can create CD copies of your digital scrapbook to share with loved ones who may live far away.

Besides software to create digital scrapbooks, you can also find a number of websites that are dedicated to sharing information about this type of craft.  You’ll find that others who are interested in scrapbooking, traditional or digital, are more than willing to share their knowledge with you.

If you’re thinking about starting to scrapbook, you may want to give digital scrapbooking a try.  Of course, you can try traditional scrapbooking first to see what the craft entails.  You may be surprised when you switch over, how much easier and how much cheaper digital scrapbooking is. 

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner.  Candy, flowers and cards can be so expensive these days. Wouldn’t you rather make homemade valentines? If so, here is how making homemade valentines saves money.

If you have a computer, this is your first link to making homemade valentines cards. Using Photoshop or other card-making software is not only fun, but easy to use. You can make scores of valentine cards within no time.

Perhaps you’d like to make a valentine wreath for your door.  That’s easy enough!
Find some red fabric of different textures and make heart shapes. Then stuff them with newspaper to give them fullness. You can make several hearts and sew them together to form a larger heart which you can then add to a round piece of wire.

How about a valentine basket?  Fill the basket with homemade heart shaped cookies. Be sure to use red icing; or even red food coloring would suffice.  Add some Hershey chocolate kisses in red foil and set it out on your table for your family to enjoy.  Using your baking skills to prepare a homemade valentine cake. You can even shape it into a heart. Surprise your family after dinner!

Make a valentine heart for your loved one by taking some red construction paper; glue; and write your heartfelt sentiment on it, then sprinkle colored sparkles on the glue and hang it so that your spouse can see it as soon as they walk in the door.  You can even cut out tiny hearts with red construction paper and stream it across a wall in your home. Write notes of love on each one!

It doesn’t take much to make homemade valentines.  Just imagination and a few items can really make a splash without having to spend a fortune. It’s the thought that counts!

Kids like to create things.  Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to let them get creative.  Here are some ideas to get them started.

If there are girls in your child’s class, jewelry is a good craft.  Stores sell kits to create bracelets, necklaces and rings.  Your kids can visit a craft store and choose their own necklace material and the beads to go on them.  In keeping with the theme of the day, they can choose heart-shaped beads in various colors and a necklace material that is suitable for school age little girls.  Create one necklace yourself so that they can see how it is done.  Matching bracelets can be made using the same beads.

Kids can give their teachers a bouquet of roses.  These aren’t just any roses!  These special roses are made of tissue paper and pipe cleaners.  Show kids how to fold the tissue paper and wrap it around the pipe cleaners.  The flowers can be presented in a vase or with a ribbon tied around them.

Candy is still the most popular thing to use for crafts.  Instead of beads, use candy to create bracelets for boys in the class.  Candy pieces can be strung over a piece of string.  It’ll look nice at first and the boys can nibble on the candy throughout the day, kind of like a snack on the go.

Valentine’s Day crafts can be created for family members.  If grandma is into flowers, kids can give them a flower pot with seeds and a little bag of potting soil.  Using paints, kids can decorate the pots in Valentine’s Day fashion. 

Instead of buying packs of Valentine’s Day cards, let the kids use a card program and make their own for other members of the family.  They can add whatever they want to the card.  Some cards come blank for the kids to write what they want or with cute sayings already inside.

Kids can make Valentine’s Day decorations for the house to put everyone in the mood to express their love.  Using a piece of string, construction paper, scissors and glue, they can create a banner to be hung in the kitchen or anywhere in the house.  Each paper heart can contain one letter in the words “Valentine’s Day”. 

Make arrows for the boys so that they can pretend to be Cupid.  Instead of metal, use wooden skewers as the arrow.  Styrofoam pieces in the shape of hearts can be painted red and stuck on the end of the skewer.  Pieces of ribbon can be glued to the other end to act as feathers on the arrow.  To create a quiver for the arrows, use an empty cereal box.

Your child can make a Valentine’s Day box for each child to hold their precious cards.  The boxes can be purchased at a dollar store.  If the boxes are not already decorated for the occasion, kids can use markers or paint to add hearts to the box.  Write each child’s name on the outside of the box.  A piece or candy can be added to the box so that the kids don’t open it and find it empty.

Valentine’s Day is fun for kids.  They get to have a good time making crafts for others and enjoying gifts given to them.

Games For the Kids in All of Us
Do you remember playing games as a child that you absolutely loved to play?  You may still long to play your favorite game even though you’ve grown up.  There’s nothing that says you can’t still enjoy your childhood favorites.  If you’re looking for things to do on New Year’s Eve, here are some games for the kid in all of us.

Twister – Twister became popular in the late 1960s when Eva Gabor played the game on national television with Johnny Carson.  This is the first game that was created that used the human body as a part of the game.  While the game may be played with more than two people, it gets increasingly difficult when there are more than four.

Twister is played by placing your hands and feet on specific colored circles on the plastic playing mat.  If you’re planning on playing Twister for your New Year’s Eve party, you can either purchase more than one game so more people can play, or everyone can wait their turn.  Why not have a Twister tournament and get everyone involved?

Scavenger Hunt – Scavenger Hunt is another game that children have always loved playing.  If you’re hosting the party, you are the one who makes up the list of objects to find.  You don’t have to stay at your home to play.  Update the game by having enough video cameras or digital cameras available for the number of teams you’ll have. 

Get children and teens involved in this updated scavenger hunt game.  When planning the list, have the teams find specific items that are common to each age group.  Ask the groups to find the items on the list and take a photo or video of each one; that’s how they document what they’ve found on their list.  You may also want them to include some items that the teams actually have to bring back to your home in order to win.

Monopoly – Break out some of the older board games that you used to enjoy as a child.  Monopoly is one game that has been popular for many years.  There are updated versions of the game that are different from the classic game, but the premise is still the same.  This game can be played by several age groups at once so children can play with adults as long as the adults don’t mind. 

You don’t have to give up playing your favorite games from childhood when you get older.  Take the time on New Year’s Eve to reach back to your childhood and play one of these games for the kids in all of us.  You’ll have fun and may find that you’re still a bigger kid than you thought you were.