Halloween At Home & On The Street

Celebrating Halloween with costumes, decorations, and trick-or-treating can be a lot of fun for the entire family! To ensure it remains fun for everyone, here are some suggestions to keep the celebration safe and healthy.

First, pre-plan for both your house and your kids. Costumes that are bright and reflective will reduce the tire marks from drivers not seeing ‘halloweeners.’ Use non-toxic, hypoallergenic makeup in place of full-faced masks to prevent vision and breathing problems. Wigs and costumes should also be flame-retardant. Too many children and adults end up in burn units from pranks and ill-suited costumes.

Outdoor decorations can be really cool, but remember you will have children running across your yard. If you plan to be visited by extra-terrestials, goblins, monsters, royalty and superheroes, remember these children cannot actually fly. Unless, of course, they are flying over your yard stuff from not seeing them. Keep your decorations lit or in non-pedestrian areas (such as front lawns and culverts) to reduce potential lawsuits and prevent injuries. Other items you may not think of include flower pots, garden hoses, low tree limbs or roots, and other house and yard items. Find accessories for costumes that are flexible and soft.

For the main event, have a route or location already established. Many of the malls now offer a safe environment along with costume contests for children, as do other organizations. Make sure you have the right batteries for flashlights. Feed your children a good meal prior to going out to reduce the sugar-meal-syndrome when returning with all of their goodies.

And finally, the basic list: warn your children about entering people’s homes or vehicles; do not let your kids use bicycles, rollerblades, or skateboards; don’t let younger children go alone and, if possible, go in ‘herds’ or groups. That works well for the kids and the homeowners; don’t let your children eat anything that is not properly wrapped; only go to homes that have the outside or porch light on. Adapted from http://www.halloweenmagazine.com/articles

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Things Kids Say They Don't Want Their Parents to Do

• Don't yell out instructions - During the game I'm trying to concentrate on what the coach says and working on what I've been practicing. It's easier for me to do my best if you save instructions and reminders for practice or just before the game.

• Don't put down my teammates, the coach, or the other team - When you do this you're not giving us a very good example of sportsmanship so we get mixed messages about being "good sports."

• Don't lose your cool - I love to see you excited about the game, but there's no reason to get so upset that you lose your temper! It's our game and all the attention is supposed to be on us.

• Don't lecture me about mistakes after the game - Those rides home in the car after the game are not a good time for lectures about how I messed up -- I already feel bad. We can talk later, but please stay calm, and don't forget to mention things I did well during the game!

• Don't forget how to laugh and have fun - Sometimes it's hard for me to relax and have fun during the game when I look over and see you so tense and worried.

• Don't forget that it's just a game - Odds are, I'm not going to make a career out of playing sports. I know I may get upset if we lose, but I also know that I’m usually feeling better after we go get a pizza. I need to be reminded sometimes that it’s just a game. Adapted from http://baseballtips.com/print/sideline.html
  
  

A Cold vs The Flu

Colds are a nuisance, but they generally don’t interrupt our work or activities. The “flu” is actually a highly contagious, systemic viral infection by one of many strains of the influenza virus. The flu not only infects the nose, throat, and lungs, but its’ symptoms can affect the whole body. There are 40-90 million cases of influenza reported in the US each year. Nearly 110,000 Americans will be hospitalized with flu complications this coming year. Business productivity drastically drops due to flu sick time. Total costs, including time lost from work, etc., exceed $14 billion—all in the four month “influenza season.” It results in 69 million lost days from work and 39 million lost days from school for children. Yet we commonly ignore the seriousness of this illness, brushing it off with a casual, “Oh, it’s just the flu.”

Flu Vaccine

Q:Who should get a flu shot?

A: In my opinion, anyone who wants to resist the flu should get vaccinated, unless they’re allergic to eggs! Vaccines can prevent Infection in seven to nine out of 10 healthy people under 65 years old and in 30 percent of nursing home residents. Yet only about one in three people under 65 and two out of three people over age 65 get vaccinated. Adapted from http://wellnessconnection.wustl.edu/hr

Indiana Fall Festivals

• Conner Prairie's Headless Horseman - Spend a frightfully fun evening outdoors with haunted hayride, bonfires, games, crafts, storytelling, food and caramel apples. Fishers, IN 46038 - Central Phone: 317.776.6000 Web Page: connerprairie.org
  


• Halloween ZooBoo presented by The Sallie Mae Fund - Family friendly spooktacular activities with zoo-style, not-so-scary animal shows, pumpkin bowling, haunted train rides, monster music and more. Indianapolis, IN 46222 - Central Phone: 317.630.2001 Web Page: indianapoliszoo.com

• The Elvis FANtasy Fest - Fun-packed weekend of entertainment, including games, special guests, vendors, a dance and professional Elvis impersonator contest. Proceeds support Porter County. Phone: 317.844.7354 Web Page: elvisfantasyfest.com

• Pumpkin Harvest Days - Hayrides, u-pick pumpkins and gourds, petting zoo, buffalo, gem mining, Astro Jump, homemade food, desserts, candies and gift shop. Phone: 812.594.3858 Web Page: coyotecreekfamilyfarm.com Adapted from http://www.in.gov/visitindiana/
  

Keeping Your Pet Safe From Cold Weather

To protect your pet during the cold months, please follow these safety tips:

• Keep your pet’s coat well groomed. Matted fur won’t properly protect your pet from the cold.
  
  
• Regularly check your pet’s water to make sure it isn’t frozen. When your pet is outside, make sure there is plenty of fresh drinking water available. Animals can’t burn calories without a fresh supply of water and if they can’t burn calories, they can’t keep warm. Also, use a tip-resistant, ceramic or hard plastic water bowl rather than a metal one, as your pet’s tongue can stick and freeze to cold metal.
  
  
• Use a damp towel to wipe your pet’s feet and underside. Ice-melting chemicals can irritate and burn the pads of your pet’s feet and will cause serious injury if ingested. Another way to protect your dog’s feet is to spray the pads of their feet with cooking spray or you can purchase boots for your pet.
  
  
• Provide a dry, draft-free doghouse if you must keep your dog outside for any period of time. It should be large enough to allow your dog to sit and lay down comfortably, but small enough to hold in his body heat. The floor should be raised a few inches off the ground and covered with cedar shavings or straw. The doghouse should be turned to face away from the wind and the doorway should be covered with waterproof burlap or heavy plastic.
  
  
• Keep an eye on the temperature. When it falls below 20 degrees Fahrenheit, you’ll need to keep all of your pets indoors. Shorthaired dogs, cats and puppies should be kept indoors when the temperature dips below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.. Adapted from http://www.ddfl.org/behavior/winter-tips.pdf
  

Ways To Protect Your Money Now

Things you can do amid the current financial panic:

• Check that your bank accounts are federally insured - The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) guarantees deposits up to $100,000 per person. If you have to hold more than that, spread it across multiple banks. As a taxpayer, you are paying for this insurance, so use it.
  

• Make sure your brokerage accounts are federally insured - The Securities Investor Protection Corp. (SIPC) guarantees you at places like Lehman Bros. (LEH, news, msgs), Merrill Lynch (MER, news, msgs) and E-Trade Financial (ETFC, news, msgs) up to $500,000, including $100,000 in cash. The same rules apply: If you have more to invest, spread it across multiple firms. Note that the SIPC only makes sure you get your shares and bonds back if a brokerage fails. It does not, obviously, guarantee those investments' value.
  

• Set up a home-equity line of credit while you still can - Normally it would not be advisable to take on more debt, but if access to ready cash might be a lifesaver, it's best to line it up now. That's true especially if you are worried about your job. Credit is already tight, and it may get a lot tighter.
  

• Refinance your mortgage - The panic on Wall Street just caused a collapse in the interest rate on long-term U.S. Treasury bonds, as lots of investors rushed there for safety. And that usually leads to a fall in long-term mortgage rates.
  

• Don't panic - Guess what. We never know how things are going to play out. And the situation could get a lot better, too. Adapted from http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Extra/
  
  

Traveling With Children

Family vacations are an essential part of living today, and can create wonderful memories that you can cherish for a lifetime. There are a few simple steps that parents can take to make sure everyone is safe and happy while traveling:

• Pack Right - Depending on their age, children should pack or help pack some of their own things. You may however suggest them what type of clothes (preferably comfortable and loose) they should be carrying. Very useful for everyone in the family are pants that become shorts when the bottom parts zips off. You may think that you need everything but if you are really crunched for space, don't pack anything that you can buy at your destination. Do bring some hand wipes, tissues, books, hard candies, paper and gum, markers, and a surprise toy for each child in a carry on bag.

• Protect Your Family’s Health - Bring along any medications your family requires, make sure they are well labeled and in their original containers. If you are traveling out of the country, check with the public health authorities if you need to get additional vaccines. They will recommend you the necessary vaccines, depending on where you are traveling to and for what duration. Make sure to get Travel Insurance, no one expects an accident to happen, what if your family is at the beach enjoying your Caribbean vacation and your child cuts his foot open on a rock or you suddenly have an appendicitis attack?
  

• Arrive Early at the Airport - Plan your arrival at the airport in such a way that you have plenty of check-in time. This will avoid last minute delays and take away a lot of stress, especially with today tighter security checks. Also, arriving early will allow your family to ensure you have seats together, allow time to purchase any last minute items, and give your little ones time to adjust to new surroundings.
  

• Select Seating Carefully - First row in the economy class are best coach seats to fly with children, as you get a lot of leg room. This is essential as you may need to stretch or walk around with the children if they get cranky during the travel. If you are unable to book seats in the first row, place the children between two responsible adults, away from the aisle. Young children should not sit in an aisle seat. The carts used for meals service take up almost the whole aisle, and a small child could get hurt. Sitting near the galley and lavatory can also be convenient, especially if you want a bottle warmed or will be making frequent trips to the bathroom.
  

• Keep Them Occupied - Wondering how to keep kids calm and busy on the flight? First off, pacifiers, gum, and bottles will decrease air pressure on the children’s ears. To keep a child interested during a long flight, bring his favorite toys and some new toys to spark their interest. Older children will love to have books, hand held game players or MP3 players to keep them busy. Adapted from http://http://www.travelarticlelibrary.com/

Practicing Forgiveness - Gift To You

When we suffer emotional wounds due to the offensive words or actions of others, we may harbor the extremely negative emotions of fear, hatred, resentment and/or pain over an extended period of time. Each time we think about the event that caused us to feel that way, we re-experience it and it becomes a vicious cycle that can become burdensome. To relieve ourselves of that burden, we must forgive.

To forgive is to let go. To let something go, however, does not mean to condone or to forget the behavior that caused us to experience those emotions in the first place. Forgiving another person is above all, a precious gift we give ourselves. Letting go of those negative emotions by forgiving others is like opening the door to an emotional jail cell in which we have been imprisoned. By forgiving, we acknowledge that we have suffered enough and are ready to rise above the circumstances that resulted in the bad feelings. We can make room in our minds and in our hearts for better things.

Life really is too short to spend it harboring ill feelings towards those who have wronged us. In the course of our lives, we all experience bad things in one way or another. Our time is better spent not bemoaning why it happened to us, but to glean whatever lesson we can from the event and then focus on the good things in our lives. We all truly deserve that and so much more. Adapted from http://ezinearticles.com/

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