Fun Halloween Activities - Ideas for Families

Autumn and the Halloween season offer so many options for families to spend quality time together. Here are just a few ideas.

Visit A Local Pumpkin Farm. During the month of October, pumpkin farms usually have attractions like live music, hayrides, and crafts, not to mention the opportunity to hand select your very own pumpkin right off the vine.

Write A Halloween Story Together. This is a great activity to make an annual family tradition. The entire family gets to choose the characters, sometimes making inanimate objects like pumpkins and candy corn come alive. Once you create the characters, the setting and the story line, you’ll be surprised how much each family member wants to contribute to the story.
Save each year’s story in a scrapbook and read the stories from past seasons. It’s a great memory maker.

Watch Halloween Movies Together. Share an annual movie night together by renting “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” “Bednobs & Broomsticks,” “Monsters Inc.,” or “Nightmare Before Christmas.” Make some popcorn with orange popcorn salt. Serve it with an orange drink. You could even put orange or black light bulbs in the lamps just for the special occasion.

Go On A Nature Walk. Take a walk together through a hiking trail or park. As you walk, collect leaves, rocks, pinecones and other bits of nature to bring home and display in a large glass bowl. It makes a gorgeous and memorable centerpiece.

Have A Monster Mash Dance Party. There are many Halloween-themed CDs available during this time of year. Have an all-family Halloween Dance Party and dance to all the popular Halloween songs. Your kids will watch you dance and think they have crazy parents, but maybe without admitting it, they’ll also have the time of their lives.

Play “Clue”. Since Halloween is all about mystery, playing the game of Clue will reinforce the season and provide a lot of family fun at the same time.

Paint Pumpkins. Pumpkin Painting is the newest range in Halloween crafts. Carving jack-o-lanterns is a Halloween tradition, but the process is messy, dangerous and the jack-o-lanterns only last a few days after Halloween night. Painting Pumpkins is an activity everyone in the family can enjoy, even the littlest goblins.

By having each family member paint their own pumpkin, you will have a fun and memorable family of pumpkins to proudly display in your home or on your front porch.. Adopted From www.apples4theteacher.com

Fall House Cleaning Tips Make A Plan

In the past, once-a-year cleaning tasks were done in the spring. Over the years, I’ve gradually moved many of them to the fall. It just makes more sense.

If you have friends or family over for Thanksgiving or winter holidays, fall is the perfect time to do these things. It will ensure that you have a cleaner house and don’t end up putting things off until the last minute. It makes the holidays a lot less stressful!

This is a great time to organize your home. Once you get the basics out of the way, then concentrate on specific areas.

The Three Big Fall Jobs

• Clean The Carpets - According to carpeting industry experts, you should have your carpet professionally cleaned every 6-18 months depending on traffic. If you do it once a year, fall is the perfect time. Your carpet will be beautiful for holiday family gatherings and parties. Most carpet cleaning companies offer a special deal where they will come back and take care of any stain within so many months of cleaning. If you clean in the fall and one of the kids spills cranberry sauce on the carpet at Thanksgiving, you’re covered. You should also let them professionally vacuum your carpet before cleaning. They can remove more dirt than your vacuum.
• Clean The Attic - When the weather cools down, it’s the best time to get up there and get rid of your dust and mildew breeding factory! All you have to do is take a vacuum up into the attic, start at the ceilings, and work your way down. If you’ve never been in your attic or just don’t want to try this project yourself (some attics require some dangerous maneuvering), you can hire someone to do it for you. The benefit is that you will increase the air quality in the whole house. You’ll also have a clean place for storage. Be sure to use a dust mask and protective eyewear, especially if you’ve never cleaned your attic. You are going to create a lot of particle clouds floating around up there! Check for wet areas caused by roof leaks.
• Clean The Chandeliers And Light Fixtures - The beginning of fall is the best time to clean chandeliers, light globes, and light diffusers. You are probably going to have people over for the holidays, and let’s face it – that’s the only time you notice how dirty your lights are! The easiest way to clean a chandelier is to leave it where it is. Taking apart the chandelier creates a much larger job, and you might not know how to put everything back together again! Get a step stool or a ladder and clean with a damp cloth. Another method is to use two cotton gloves – one sprayed with window cleaner and one dry.

Next you should tackle the light globes on ceiling fans and other fixtures. You should do a room at a time. Detach the globes carefully and let them soak while you are cleaning that room. Rinse and wipe them clean and replace them afterward. It’s not difficult, but most people have a lot of light fixtures. You’ll notice a change in lighting immediately. Don’t forget your porch lights! Adopted From http://www.mrscleannw.com/tips

Recipe Of The Month - Crescent Mummy Dogs

INGREDIENTS

• 1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or 1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations™ refrigerated flaky dough sheet


• 2 1/2 slices American cheese, quartered (2.5 oz)


• 10 large hot dogs


• Cooking spray


• Mustard or ketchup, if desired
  

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oven to 375°F.


2. If using crescent rolls: Unroll dough; separate at perforations, creating 4 rectangles. Press perforations to seal. If using dough sheet: Unroll dough; cut into 4 rectangles.


3. With knife or kitchen scissors, cut each rectangle lengthwise into 10 pieces, making a total of 40 pieces of dough. Slice cheese slices into quarters (1/2 slice cheese, cut in half).


4. Wrap 4 pieces of dough around each hot dog and 1/4 slice of cheese to look like "bandages," stretching dough slightly to completely cover hot dog. About 1/2 inch from one end of each hot dog, separate "bandages" so hot dog shows through for "face." On ungreased large cookie sheet, place wrapped hot dogs (cheese side down); spray dough lightly with cooking spray.


5. Bake 13 to 17 minutes - dough is light golden brown & hot dogs are hot. With mustard, draw features on "face."
   

Use Fall Sports to Teach Healthy Competition

'Tis the season for Fall sports - at the game, parents enthusiastically cheer their child's team and discuss the game on the car ride home. While most parents have good intentions, they can inadvertently discourage a child and promote unhealthy competition if they don't choose their words carefully.

First, let's define the difference between "healthy" and "unhealthy" competition:

Healthy competition focuses on doing one's best, having fun, and learning skills. It promotes teamwork and positive participation. Those who give a strong effort and strive to improve themselves usually advance. If learning or improving is the goal, children always reach it. If they happen to win, it's icing on the cake.

Unhealthy competition focuses on winning, being the best, or being better than others. The pressure to win is more important than the fun of playing or learning skills. If children put forth their best effort but still "lose," they may still feel like a failure. They miss important lessons losing can teach them, because winning is the goal.

There are three ways parents tend to promote unhealthy competition:

"Let's race!" Many parents encourage racing to motivate children into action.

Comparisons: All comparisons promote unhealthy competition. Negative comparisons, like "I wish you could be more like John," are not motivating. They make children feel inferior and are discouraging. Children usually resent the other child, even if the child did not participate in the comparison.

Positive comparisons are also problematic. When we try to build children up by putting others down, we increase the child's ego, not his self-esteem. Children may feel sorry for the inferior child or feel better than the child in a conceited way. Children could also feel pressure to always be better than others.

Even when parents don't compare them, children may compare themselves as they compete for a place in the family or peer group. If one child is good in some area, another child might believe that role is taken and pursue something else - even if they are interested in that activity!

When children compare themselves, focus on the child's feelings, interest or performance, not the comparison. For example, if a child says, "Susan's such a good violin player. I'll never be as good as she is," the parent can say, "How Susan plays has nothing to do with whether you should play or not. If you want to play the violin, do it!"

Being a poor role model: Most parents know that unhealthy competition promotes selfishness and poor sportsmanship. Unfortunately, in their enthusiasm, some parents model poor sportsmanship by standing on the sidelines yelling insults at their children and the referees. These parents teach their children to make excuses or blame others for their mistakes.

If you yell during a game, make it encouraging: "Way to go!" "Nice kick!" "Keep it up!" After an event, restrict your comments to descriptions of how the child or team did well, made an effort, or improved. Don't focus exclusively on the score or outcome. If children bring this up, acknowledge their feelings and comment on their effort or improvement. In the long-run, families who focus on competition usually increase the differences and resentment among family members. Families who encourage best-efforts, focus on skill improvement and doing one's best usually have children who are more confident and cooperative with others. Adopted From http://ezinearticles.com

ATM - MALE /FEMALE PROCEDURES

A new sign in the Bank Lobby reads:

"Please note that this Bank is installing new Drive-through ATM machines enabling customers to withdraw cash without leaving their vehicles. Customers using this new facility are requested to use the procedures outlined below when accessing their accounts.

After months of careful research, MALE and FEMALE procedures have been developed. Please follow the appropriate steps for your gender:

MALE PROCEDURE

• Drive up to the cash machine.


• Put down your car window.


• Insert card into machine and enter PIN.


• Enter amount of cash required and withdraw.


• Retrieve card, cash and receipt.


• Put window up.


• Drive off.

FEMALE PROCEDURE

• Drive up to cash machine.


• Reverse and back up the required amount to align car window with the machine.


• Set parking brake, put the window down.


• Find handbag, remove all contents on to passenger seat to locate card.


• Tell person on cell phone you will call them back and hang up.


• Attempt to insert card into machine.


• Open car door to allow easier access to machine due to its excessive distance from the car.


• Insert card.


• Re-insert card the right way.


• Dig through handbag to find diary with your PIN written on the inside back page.


• Enter PIN.


• Press cancel and re-enter correct PIN.


• Enter amount of cash required.


• Check makeup in rear view mirror.


• Retrieve cash and receipt.


• Empty handbag again to locate wallet and place cash inside.


• Write debit amount in check register and place receipt in back of checkbook.


• Re-check makeup.


• Drive forward 2 feet.


• Reverse back to cash machine.


• Retrieve card.


• Re-empty hand bag, locate card holder, and place card into the slot provided.


• Give dirty look to irate male driver waiting behind you.


• Restart stalled engine and pull off.


• Redial person on cell phone.


• Drive for 2 to 3 miles.


• Release Parking Brake. Adopted From http://www.onlyfunnystories.
  

Helpful Tips For Getting Kids To Help Around The House.

There’s no doubt that downloading videos to an iPod or text messaging requires more technical skill than loading a dishwasher. But kids who manage technology with ease struggle when asked to run a home appliance.

Clearly, they’re capable, but we often don’t do enough to engage their help. It’s sometimes easier to quickly load the dishwasher yourself than to teach your child how to do it. But with some training and reinforcement, you can not only enlist helpers, but reduce your own energy deficit in an effective parenting way.

What can we do to get kids to help?

Set up your kitchen for success. Think about putting plastic cups in low cabinets, so your kids can get their own drink at a young age. Put safe utensils & paper plates within arms’ reach; keep sharp knives on higher shelves.

Add some fun. Play music after dinner while everyone helps with clean-up. Set a timer in the morning, and reward chore completion before school with a special snack in the backpack.

Say “thank you” on occasion. I’m not saying you should be going overboard every time your kid does something to help out. A family needs teamwork to succeed, and everyone should participate daily. But kids aren’t born knowing how to help, and this is a trained and reinforced skill. By being appreciative, you are likely to reinforce a repeat performance. Also, it’s an excellent model for thankfulness, which hopefully will be reciprocated.

To pay or not to pay. There are arguments on both sides. Try to get the kids to see work as a value, and it will have value to everyone without a price tag attached. Do Mom and Dad get paid for doing work at home? Also, doing work together and sharing the burden is part of being a family. Adopted From http://parenting.thestateonline.com/

HOW TO SURVIVE A HEART ATTACK WHEN ALONE?

Let's say it's 6.15pm and you're driving home (alone of course) after an unusually hard day on the job. You're really tired, and frustrated……

YOU ARE REALLY STRESSED AND UPSET ….Suddenly you start experiencing severe pain in your chest that starts to radiate out into your arm and up into your jaw.

You are only five miles from the hospital nearest your home. Unfortunately you don't know if you'll be able to make it that far.

WHAT TO DO ??? YOU HAVE BEEN TRAINED IN CPR, BUT THE GUY THAT CONDUCTED THE COURSE DID NOT TELL YOU HOW TO PERFORM IT ON YOURSELF !!!

HOW TO SURVIVE A HEART ATTACK WHEN ALONE? SINCE MANY PEOPLE ARE ALONE WHEN THEY SUFFER A HEART ATTACK, WITHOUT HELP, THE PERSON WHOSE HEART IS BEATING IMPROPERLY AND WHO BEGINS TO FEEL FAINT, HAS ONLY ABOUT 10 SECONDS LEFT BEFORE LOSING CONSCIOUS. WHAT TO DO ???

ANSWER: DO NOT PANIC, BUT START COUGHING REPEATEDLY AND VERY VIGOROUSLY.

A DEEP BREATH SHOULD BE TAKEN BEFORE EACH COUGH, THE COUGH MUST BE DEEP AND PROLONGED, AS WHEN PRODUCING SPUTUM FROM DEEP INSIDE THE CHEST.

A BREATH AND A COUGH MUST BE REPEATED ABOUT EVERY TWO SECONDS WITHOUT LET-UP UNTIL HELP ARRIVES, OR UNTIL THE HEART IS FELT TO BE BEATING NORMALLY AGAIN.

DEEP BREATHS GET OXYGEN INTO THE LUNGS AND COUGHING MOVEMENTS SQUEEZE THE HEART AND KEEP THE BLOOD CIRCULATING. THE SQUEEZING PRESSURE ON THE HEART ALSO HELPS IT REGAIN NORMAL RHYTHM. IN THIS WAY, HEART ATTACK VICTIMS CAN GET TO A HOSPITAL

TELL AS MANY OTHER PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE ABOUT THIS.

IT COULD SAVE THEIR LIVES !!! DON'T EVER THINK THAT YOU ARE NOT PRONE TO HEART ATTACK AS YOUR AGE IS LESS THAN 25 OR 30. NOWADAYS DUE TO THE CHANGE IN THE LIFE STYLE, HEARTATTACK IS FOUND AMONG PEOPLE OF ALL AGE GROUPS. Adopted From JOURNAL OF GENERAL HOSPITAL ROCHESTER

Ask Mike Your Mortgage Questions?: Should I Have A Pre-approval Letter Before I Start Looking?

While many buyers are aware that a mortgage pre-approval letter increases their buying confidence and power, most may not understand exactly why pre-approval is so important. Why should you jump through the application hoops before even beginning your home search?

First, you'll know exactly how much loan you can afford, making your initial home search much easier. Why waste your time looking at homes either out of your reach or well below your financial grasp?

Second, pre-approved buyers stand on solid negotiating ground with sellers. Sellers working with well-qualified buyers are more likely to accept the offer and less likely to stall on terms and conditions.

Notice that the topic of this column is "pre-approval," and not " pre-qualification." What's the difference? Pre-qualification is easy - you provide basic information to a lender, and in a few short minutes, you have an answer. Pre-approval requires strict verification of documentation relating to your employment, credit history, sources of income, etc. It takes more time, but is more accurate and carries more weight.

Understand that pre-approval is not binding, and is still subject to a satisfactory appraisal on the prospective purchase. If your financial situation changes, interest rates rise or fall, or the deadline passes, a recalculation will be necessary; but a little legwork now will pay off handsomely as you approach the finish line on your contract.

Please Call Mike At 317-437-5182 For The Details.

If you have a mortgage that is at a 6.00% or higher interest rate it might be time for you to refinance. Please contact Mike for a free analysis. Most customers are saving over $100 per month by reducing their interest rates!

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