Open Journalism For All - News, Documentaries And Information Services

When you’re learning about something new, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of relevant information available. This informative article should help you focus on the central points.

You investigate your next car purchase. You weigh the pros and cons of various computers through research. So why not put forth the same effort with a nanny background check? Know your nanny before she (or he) spends one moment with your children. You see some ads for nannies and one of the first things mentioned is that the family wants a non-smoker and non-drinker. However, no one really thinks to say - no criminals please! By performing a nanny background check, you can allay your fears and know that your children are in safe hands when you are not home.

To get the ball rolling on your nanny background check, ask for references from previous employers. You need at least three to follow-up with. That is the keyword - follow-up! Ask questions like how long was she employed with the previous family? How did she carry out her duties? What was the reason she left? Would you hire back if given the opportunity? These are but just a few questions that will give you valuable insight into your prospective nanny.

A more in-depth nanny background check is important to catch any discrepancies and items of interest that you should know about. The nanny candidate should fill out a form with all the pertinent information you would need to conduct the nanny background check. Be sure to disclose upfront that the information garnered from the form will be used in a nanny background check and that they need to sign the form to authorize the search. If they refuse to sign, it is a sure bet that they are hiding something in the past they do not want known.

See how much you can learn about nanny background check when you take a little time to read a well-researched article? Don’t miss out on the rest of this great information.

To conduct this in-depth nanny background check, you will need the nanny candidate’s full name as well as the maiden name or any of the aliases they might have been known by. You will also need to know the candidate’s address, birth date, driver’s license number and social security number. Contact information for relatives and previous bosses are also important as is where they went to school and/or college.

You will want to search by the candidate’s social security number and verify addresses and the name. You can also find out through court records about any criminal or civil cases in which the nanny candidate was involved. Criminal convictions, especially those having to do with children are important to check out as is running the candidate’s name and information through several sex offenders database lists. To be thorough in your nanny background check, be sure to use a reputable service online that will do searches for you or hire a local private detective.

Finally, those criminal checks should be run in all the places the candidates had listed as previous residences. City, county and state governments don’t always have every single record you require, but between all three resources, you can usually obtain most anything you need to know. The easiest way to run the nanny background check and comprehensive searches is to let a professional handle it. They are more equipped to deal with it and have access to databases that you may not have like the NCIC which stand for National Crime Information Center.

Know your nanny by investing in a nanny background check. This day and age, you can never be too careful about the safety of your children. The nanny background check may take a few days to complete, so do not allow the candidate into your home to look after the children. You can never be too safe!

Now you can be a confident expert on nanny background check. OK, maybe not an expert. But you should have something to bring to the table next time you join a discussion on nanny background check.

Depending on the age of your little ones, you may want to keep ideas for toddler Halloween costumes on the simple side. Since most of the very youngest trick or treaters are only going out to amuse the grandparents and immediate neighbors, it needn’t be terribly complicated to still bring a lot of smiles.

For infants, and those who get tired of walking, animal costumes work very well, can be done in minutes, and don’t require great sewing skills.

Turn your toddler into a cow, with a white hooded shirt, white sweat pants, black wool and some black felt. Cut cow-type “splotches” out of the felt, and either use double-sided tape or easily removed basting stitches to attach to the shirt and pants. Remember to keep two triangular pieces of felt to tack ears onto the hood. A dozen pieces of wool, cut to about 18″, can be braided to make a tail for pinning to the seat of their pants. If the toddler is slightly older, and not likely to “bust your balloon”, buy one disposable glove at the drug store, tie off the thumb so no air can get in it, then inflate the glove, tie it off at the wrist, and pin to the belly of their shirt.

Cats and dogs are equally as simple, using the same matching shirt and pants combo, with a few accessories. For the dog, you can buy rubber/vinyl noses, or you can create your own hound dog face with a little makeup to match the shirt, and then draw on a black nose, and a black ring around one eye. Use felt to make a couple of oval-shaped ears, cutting one round end off, and tacking them to the hood of the shirt. The tail can be as easy as a piece of rope or cord, or you can sew a tube of felt and stuff it with quilt batting or lint from the dryer! For the finishing touch, cut down an old belt to create a “collar” and glue on some rhinestones.

Black cats are not only easy, they are delightfully charming ideas for toddler Halloween costumes. Get a matching black sweat pant and hooded shirt, plus black felt for the ears. Make sure you have a little pink felt as well, to glue to the inside of the black ear, to make it more realistic. Use make-up to draw on the nose and whiskers, and give your toddler black mittens, and black socks to wear over their shoes. You’re at the end of the job when you make a matching tail out of black felt, or a length of black cord from the curtain shop. A narrow black dress belt with rhinestones glued on, and a tiny bell, makes your kitten, purrrrrfectly divine.

Visit http://www.babyandtoddlerville.com and sign up for free weekly tips that will take the mystery and fear out of parenting your precious little one.

Even if your baby is just weeks old now, you’ll soon see
how amazingly quickly she develops.

Most expected parents want to buy their new baby the world. But
you don’t need to spend a lot of money.Before you blow the budget
check out online sources for reviews and recommendation and
then selectively purchase new items with safety.

Go Online.You’ll be able to find almost everything you need.
Browse the bargain hunter’s guides like “Baby Bargains” and
“Bargain Buys For Baby’s First Year”.

Consult websites: ConsumerReports.org and DrSpock.com. So buy the best quality you can afford.

Today you’ll see “Svan High Chair” with infant kit(for 6 months and older).
The beautiful chair comes from Sweden.

How It Grows With Your Child

The Svan Chair grows with a child at every age and size. Since the seat and footrest can be freely adjusted along main beam the chair can be adjusted to alwais fit the precise needs of a growing child The Svan Chair is so flexible that it adjusts all the way to meet the needs of a teenager or even an adult.

As it adjusts, the chair can hold up to 250 pounds. Chair comes in your choice of three wood finishes and five color cushions.

http://www.allaboutdress.com/svan.html

Elen Meerovich. Raised two children.
http://www.allaboutdress.com
email:914gml@videotron.ca

This may come as a surprise to you.

But the truth is, you really are good at mathematics.

You see, every day you solve complex problems by breaking them down into tiny little “baby steps”.

And just like the world’s most powerful computer or the greatest ever mathematical prodigy, it’s this step-by-step process that enables you to do practically anything.

Let’s see this process in action with a couple of examples:

* * * Example 1 - Calculating the Dreaded Sales Tax

The sales tax rate varies around the world, but here in the UK it’s 17.5%. Urgh! What kind of figure is that?

Let’s look at it again and see how we can tame the beast by breaking it down.

17.5

It consists of 10, plus 5 plus 2.5, doesn’t it?

And those numbers form a distinct sequence. In other words… “10, plus half, plus half again”.

Now that we know this, we can do something really clever…

Suppose you want to calculate 17.5% of 40 UK pounds. How would you work this out? (Stop! Don’t even think of reaching for that calculator!)

Start with the 10. 10% of 40 is 4. Add half (2) and half again (1) and you get 7.

So you proudly announce to your colleagues… “So by adding 17.5% sales tax to our £40 product, the total retail price will be… £47.”

They look on amazed.

Let’s take another example and show how simple math really is…

* * * Example 2 - Help your daughter with her homework.

You arrive home and your daughter needs some help with her math assignment. It’s those darn fractions again.

She just can’t make sense of them.

“A half times a half is a quarter. So how, when you multiply things together, can you have LESS than you started out with!”

You explain that multiplication and division are two sides of the same thing, and you make it “real world” for her with a little analogy:

You get her to imagine a cake.

You remind her that “multiplying by half” is another way of saying divide by 2. So she pictures herself halving the cake, giving one piece half to her friend Jane, and keeping the other half.

You daughter now has half a cake.

She multiplies her piece by a half (i.e. “divides it into two again”) and she’s left with a quarter.

She goes off to bed happy, dreaming about birthday cake And you get to watch the ball game on TV.

Again, it’s just a matter of simplifying.

————————————————————

Real world math is not about mental agony, or learning mechanical formulas that you follow mindlessly like a robot.

It’s about common sense, seeing how numbers really work, and breaking things down.

You just need a little imagination. After all, that’s what genius really is.

About The Author

Murdo Macleod is a reformed calculator user and co-author of the ‘Fun With Figures’ mental math course. Come and see what parents, students, home schoolers, business people, and math phobics around the world are raving about: http://FunWithFigures.com/

Q. I’m a new 8th grade teacher and I don’t have a lot of experience with teens. Could you help me with a teen quiz that will get them thinking?

A. Before I help you with a teen quiz, let me say “good for you”! Many new teachers start out in elementary school and then work their way up to the big leagues. You jumped right into the deep water and I’m proud of you. I love teachers.

So, you want to reach teens and you’re hoping that a teen quiz will get you some results. One of the key concepts to keep in mind is that you don’t want your teens thinking that you’re trying to be one of them, or that you’re invading their age group. Remember, even if you’re in your mid 20’s, you’re “old” to someone who is 13. You need to design a teen quiz that makes them think that you respect their opinions and that you are treating them like an “adult”.

That means instead of a teen quiz that asks “which one of the MTV VJ’s wear the most bling bling”, you want to ask questions that allow them to show your their intellectual and emotional sides. At the same time you need to keep in mind that the word “quiz” smells an awful lot like the word “test” and we all know how much kids hate taking tests. Maybe instead of calling it a teen quiz, you’d get more mileage out of calling it a Teen Opinion Poll.

Now that you’ve disguised the teen quiz, you can go on to fool them into actually thinking about whatever subject you’re responsible for teaching them. For example, a question such as “What makes people want to plant car bombs?” opens up multiple discussion opportunities. You can talk about hate, racism, anti-semitism, religious intolerance, political intrigue, current events and historical events.

See how just one well designed question can start a meaningful discussion? Imagine if you had time for even one teen quiz a week, and you could pick one question that would stretch the boundaries of their everyday thoughts and conversations. By the end of the year your teen quiz will likely result in a more aware and educated child than you might have if you just crammed knowledge down their throats every day.

A teen quiz can be the key that unlocks their mind. Good luck and thanks for being a teacher!

—————————————————————-
Brian Fong run the popular quiz site
http://www.QuizFaq.com
Quiz Faq - Your solutions for the quiz.
—————————————————————-

PARROT GAME

Divide guests into two equal groups, one is the Pirates, the other the Parrots. The parrots are very very grouchy and are not permitted to smile. The pirates can do anything they like to get the parrots to laugh. The parrots can only respond parrot-style - if they think they can without crackering-er, I mean cracking - up!!! You might make one of the rules that parrots must answer any questions in “parrot-speak” only. The last parrot to keep a straight face is the winner.

BABY BOTTLE GAME

Before the party, prepare a baby bottle with a new clean nipple for each guest. Fill each bottle with 1 ounce of water and make sure the water runs out of each bottle at the same rate of speed. At a signal, each contestant tries to drink the water the fastest. The first one to finish is the winner. Imagine what great pictures you’ll get with this one!

SLEEPING LIONS

One player is chosen to be “it”. All other players lie down and become sleeping lions. They lie flat on their backs, keeping as still and quiet as possible. The “it” person has to try to make them laugh by making funny faces but not actually touching them. Anyone who giggles is out. The last lion is the winner.

Variations: Sleeping Clowns, Sleeping Astronauts, Sleeping Pirates, Sleeping Cowboys, etc.

HA!HA!HA!

The object of this game is to keep a straight face while the other players try to make you laugh. Everyone sits in a circle. One child says, “Ha!” The next child adds a second “Ha!” by saying “Ha!Ha!”. The third child adds another “Ha!” saying, “Ha!Ha!Ha!”…and so on. Any player who laughs or makes a mistake must drop out of the circle. However, those “drop-outs” can also try to make the others laugh (except by touching them or talking). The player who keeps a straight face the longest is the winner.

Variation: Have each child lie down, resting his or her head on the stomach of the next child. The last child to laugh is the winner.

POOR PUSSY

This is a tried and true game which has been popular for generations. Arrange players in a circle. except for one child who is designated “Poor Pussy”. Poor Pussy kneels in front of any player and acts like - you guessed it - a pussy cat. While he or she is meowing, the player must stroke Poor Pussy’s head and say “Poor Pussy, Poor Pussy” without smiling. If the player petting Pussy smiles or laughs, they become “Poor Pussy” in the next
round.

Think about how difficult it is not to crack up while petting someone’s head and saying “Poor Pussy”! To make it worse, Poor Pussy is allowed to do anything to make players lose their composure, including silly faces, strange purring sounds, or other catlike moves. Other players are also permitted to laugh and do whatever possible to make it more difficult for the designated person to keep their cool.

CAT TAILS GAME

Cut thin strips of cloth for each guest at least one yard long and have them put them into the back of their pants, just skimming the ground. Kids then try to step on each other’s tails. They are out when they lose their tail. The winner is the last one to keep his tail!

JUNGLE KNOTS

Instruct guests to stand in a circle facing inward. To begin, everyone extends his or her right hand into the ring and takes hold of someone else’s hand. Then, they do the same with their left hands. The object of the game is to see if they can untangle the “knot” by stepping over, ducking under people, or turning around. Whatever happens, they can’t let go of hands!

FIRE ALARM RELAY

Prepare two sets of fire fighter’s clothing, including boots, oversized jackets, hats and gloves. Mark a starting line and place two chairs across the room with an empty wrapping paper tube on each. This will be the location of the fire and the hose to put it out.

Divide guests into two teams and demonstrate the proper procedure for the game. They must put on the firefighter’s clothing, run to the chair, pick up the “hose” and run around the chair with it spraying the fire, set the hose back on the chair, return to the dressing station, take off the clothes and go back to their line. The next person on their team then repeats the whole procedure until all team members have taken a turn. The team that completes the relay first is the winner.

This game can be played with any type of clothing. Match it to fit the theme of your party.

MUSCLE BUILDERS

Inflate up to 100 small balloons. Divide guests into two teams and select one guest on each team to be the “weakling”. The remaining guests will be “personal trainers”. Gather teams on opposite sides of the room and divide the balloons between them. The weakling puts on one-piece long johns or any other simple jumpsuit type of clothing you may have.

When you say “go”, the teams of personal trainers must make their weaklings grow instant muscles by stuffing as many balloons as they can into their long underwear. Give teams one minute for this task. When time is up - and you’ve taken lots of pictures! - remove and count the balloons for each team. The weakling with the most “muscles” or balloons, wins. This can be done more than once with new weaklings.

MUMMY WRAP

Split the party goers into teams of three and give each team a toilet roll. Two persons then wrap the third in the toilet roll so that they look like an Egyptian Mummy. The winning team is the one who in a set time (2 minutes is good) have the neatest and most covered Mummy.

Copyright 2005 Kids Party Paradise All Rights Reserved

Patricia B. Jensen is a mother of three and kids party enthusiast. She is the webmaster and owner of Kids-Party-Paradise.com - a complete resource for kids party ideas including invitations, cakes, decorations, games, costumes, favors, and food.

For all the latest party news, read her Kids Party Blog.

79 Ways for Kids To Exercise - Indoors or Out

Do you spend all your free time watching TV or playing video games? Two hours of TV or video games a day should be your limit, if you want to be healthy and strong and develop your creativity. Here are some exercise ideas!

1. Walk your dog

2. Walk your neighbor’s dog (with permission from your parents and your neighbor, of course)

3. Fly a kite

4. Toss a Frisbee

5. Ask your parents or grandparents to take you to a state park or other area where you can take a nature hike. Look for unusual plants, insects or wildlife and take samples or pictures for your science class or show and tell

6. Ride your bike

7. Skate

8. If you have a yard, pick up sticks or trash

9. Pull weeds

10.Rake the yard or garden

11.Play tag 12.Play hopscotch

13.Have a hula hoop contest, and see who can keep the hoop up the longest

14.Learn to juggle

15.Jump rope (boxers do it, and look how strong & healthy they are!)

16.Visit the zoo, amusement park or museum (lots of walking)

17.Wash the car

18.Have every family member wear a pedometer, and have a daily challenge to see who can take the most steps. Losers do winner’s chores the next day!

19.Shoot hoops

20.Play soccer

21.Play softball

22.Play badminton

23.Have a water balloon fight

24.Put on your bathing suit and run through the sprinkler

25.Go swimming (never without an adult to supervise!)

26.Give the dog a bath. The bigger the dog, the more exercise you’ll get!

27.Sign up for a charity walk-a-thon with your parent, grandparent, or other relative. You’ll help raise money for a good cause and get in shape at the same time. If your town doesn’t have a walk-a-thon, start one for your favorite charity

28.Do jumping jacks

29.Do push-ups

30.Put on an exercise video and get a good workout

31.Do sit-ups

32.Learn to play golf, or caddy for someone else

33.Play tennis

34.Play miniature golf

35.Go bowling

36.Learn to twirl a baton

37.Take a class in martial arts and learn to defend yourself

38.Build a fort and play cowboys and Indians

39.If you have a two-story home or a home with a basement, carry out-of-place items up or down stairs, one item at a time

40.Run the vacuum

41.Wash windows

42.Clean your room

43.Ride your skateboard

44.Learn yoga, either at a class or from a video

45.Race-walk

46.Have relay races with your friends or family

47.Play touch football

48.Learn ballroom dancing

49.Learn hip-hop dancing

50.Take classes in ballet, jazz or tap dancing

51.Join a clogging or Irish step-dancing club

52.Learn to play an instrument and join the marching band

53.Join a gym or work with a private fitness trainer

54.Practice turning cartwheels in the yard

55.Walk on the beach and collect shells

56.Set up an obstacle course in your back yard, and practice going faster and faster through it

57.Have a tug of war

58.Get several parents & kids together and have one-legged sack races

59.Learn to water ski (again, make sure you have adult supervision at all times!)

60.Learn to surf (same as number 59)

61.Play hockey

62.Climb the monkey bars or a climbing wall

63.Go horseback riding

64.Learn gymnastics

65.Play volleyball

66.Play table tennis

67.Use normal household items and form a rhythm band. March around the house or neighborhood playing your instruments

68.Pull your little brother or sister around the yard in a wagon

69.Play croquet

70.Have a long-jumping contest with your friends, and see who can jump the farthest

71.In the winter, you can ice skate;

72.Ski- - either downhill or cross-country

73.Build a snowman

74.Build a snow fort and have a snowball fight

75.Go sledding

76.Shovel snow off your sidewalk or driveway

77.Take your dog outside and play fetch in the snow. Most dogs love snow!

78.Take a walk in the snow, then try to step in your own tracks all the way back

79.Shovel snow off someone else’s walk, either as a favor or to earn money

What are you waiting for, kids? Start moving!!

Bev Grey is founder and president of Grandma’s Healthy Kids Club, Inc., an in-home program to help children lose weight safely or just improve their eating and exercise habits. See our website at http://www.grandmashealthykidsclub.com

This article may be reprinted in its entirety as long as credit is given to Bev Grey and Grandma’s Healthy Kids Club and the URL is shown.

Over the years I’ve probably written hundreds of articles on
how parents can handle their teen-agers. This, I believe, is
the first I’ve written on how teens can ‘handle’ their parents.

Here are seven principles of Care and Feeding along with an
application for each.

The Truth. Parents have confirmed this with me over and over
for more than 20 years: Mom and Dad would rather know the
truth about something up front - no matter how horrible it may
be - than to find out later they have been lied to and conned.

When parents know the truth, they can deal with what is real,
and things don’t get as confusing.

Application: Tell the truth, whatever it is. You may have to take
some heat, especially if you are coming clean. The benefit is
that now there are more brains working on whatever problems
you are facing,

Trust: Trust in a family is like tokens in a video game room.
In a video game place, the more tokens you have, the more
games you can play.

In a family, the more trust you have, the more you are able
to do. The more deposits you can make into your parent’s
‘trust bank,’ the more and more you will be able to be in
charge of your self.

Application: Ask yourself ‘is what I’m doing going to build
trust or break trust?’ When trust is broken, begin the repair
job right away. It’s a fair bet that you have lived with these
people for a few years and know what they need to see in
order to build trust.

Nag, Nag, Nag. I’ve rarely if ever seen a situation where
one person was nagging without the other person being
irresponsible in some way. If you think your parents are
nagging you, look for places where you may have been
irresponsible in some way.

I can guarantee you this: Parents do not sit up late at
night thinking things like ‘OK, what can I find to nag them
about tomorrow?’ As anyone who has ever done it can tell
you, nagging is no fun.

Application: Pick something your parents have been nagging
you about. Figure out how to get out in front of the situation
by taking care of it - doing the chore, whatever - before they
can even mention it. If nothing else, the shock and confusion
on their faces will be worth it.

Perspective. If you’re 16, unless you have a very incredible
memory and can remember all the way back to the womb,
it’s a safe bet you have about a 13- to 14-year perspective
on life. Your parents, on the other hand, have been watching
you your entire life and, if they try real hard, can even
remember life before you.

That’s why it’s sometimes difficult for them to see you as a
teen becoming a young adult instead of seeing you as a child.

Application: Give them some room when it feels as if they are
treating you like a child. Negotiate with them. Remember, they
are just showing the love they have for you.

The W’s. The more trust you have, the more you can do.
The more of a certain type of structure you have, the more
freedom you will have.

Parents want to know the W’s: Who you are going to be with.
What you will be doing. Where you will be. When you will be
home. Instead of seeing this as an intrusive, controlling pain,
try looking at it as a ticket to more freedom. If you consistently
supply your parents with this information, the more and more
you’ll be able to do. Application: When you approach your parents
about going out with friends, supply them with the W’s - as many
as you know - before they ask. Surprising, even positively
shocking your parents can be fun.

A Resource. Because your folks have lived longer than you have,
they have had a few more life experiences. They are a wealth of
information on how to do some of the tasks of life. They might even
be a resource on how not to do some. Use them. Pick their brains.
Everyone likes to feel as if they have some wisdom to impart.

Application: As you look for/apply for a job, buy a car, learn
about relationships, etc., ask your parents for tips about what to
do and not do, say and not say, etc.

Information. For better or worse, parents have this curious little
habit of being interested in your life. If you are not sharing much
with them, they will ask questions. Which sets up this wonderful
little family scene:

Parent: ‘How was school today?’

Teen: ‘Fine.’

Parent: ‘What did you do today?’

Teen: ‘Nothing.’

Parent: ‘Oh c’mon, you must have done something!’

Irritation, yelling and slamming of doors not far behind.

Application: The way to avoid this unpleasant scenario is to
look for something in your day that you can share with your
parents. Like the anti-nagging technique, this one allows you
to get out in front of something before it becomes a problem.

Jeff Herring, MS, LMFT, is a marriage and family therapist specializing in working with teenagers and their parents. A nationally syndicated relationship columnist and speaker, Jeff is also the founder and CEO of http://www.ParentingYourTeenager.com, where you can subscribe to his f’ree internet newsletter “ParentingYourTeenager.” E-mail Jeff at jeff@parentingyourteenager.com

Now is the time to think about ending the academic year with a bang! This is an opportune time to set up one-on-one conversations with each of your teachers to find out what you can be doing to improve on your weaknesses in their classes.

Usually, this is a great time to gain extra points. Here are some tips to think about: in English and history courses, you might want to bring in any old essays on which you didn’t get a straight A and go over each one of them with your teacher to see what you could have done better. You may want to offer to rewrite several of these essays - not for another grade, but just to show the teacher how committed you are to becoming a better writer and to becoming a better student of English and history. Then you can ask the teacher for his or her guidance on the edits you’ve made to see how you’re coming along.

Believe me, at the end of the year, when those teachers are deciding between the A- and the B+ for you, if you’ve done this rewriting and shown this extra effort, they’re going to give you the A-. For math and science, now is a great time to turn in some extra problem sets and find out if you can gain extra credit in any way by doing extra work. You might also want to bring in your old quizzes and tests to go over any problems you didn’t understand.

Set up time to meet with the teacher either before or after school to go over the problems one by one and to make sure you understand everything.

Remember, the final exams for math and science are normally cumulative, so you want to make sure you understand everything from the entire year.

Speaking of exams, now is also a great time to start studying for finals! I know it seems like ages away, but if you just start to review your notes, your quizzes, your tests, your labs, your projects, your papers, and make sure you understand any error you made in the past and how to prevent this error from happening again, you’ll be in much better shape for your finals in May and June. So get organized and collect all of the work from the entire year to review!

If you’re studying a foreign language, an effective and entertaining way to improve your mastery of the language is by watching some films in the language you’re studying. For example, if you’re studying Spanish, you may want to pick up a Pedro Almodvar filmany one from his oeuvreand watch it scene by scene, first listening without subtitles, pausing it, then repeating back the lines. You don’t have to, and probably shouldn’t, watch the film straight through, because this is a time-consuming exercise, and you will be able to retain more by working in smaller increments of time. Your incentive to finish will be finding out what happens in the end of the movie!

While it is generally better to watch a movie from the culture of the language you’re studying, here’s another fun way to strengthen your command of the language: Take a DVD of one of your favorite movies, one that you’ve seen many timeslike Meet the Parents or Old Schooland change the audio settings to play the movie in the language you’re studying. Because you are already familiar with the plot and dialogue of this movie, you won’t get lost as you listen to it in another language. This exercise might also help you pick up slang phrases and figures of speech in the language you’re studying that you might not learn in the classroom.

Other ways to gain extra points with your teachers: Make sure that you’re showing up to class on time, that you’re participating in the classroom, that you’re being helpful to your peers, and that you’re going above and beyond the required assignments. If you have time to do even a little bit of extra work, your teachers will be thoroughly impressed. Also, for juniors, this is the time to make a strong final impression on your teachers, especially the ones who might be writing you recommendations.

Many of you are in the process of studying for SAT subject tests and AP exams. The best way to prepare is to practice, practice, practice. Buy the practice test books and do as many practice tests as humanly possible before you go in. Not only will you be much more familiar with the questions and the test, studies have shown that simply being exposed to a practice test ahead of time will yield higher scores.

Remember, I know it seems like a lot of work now, but this pays off towards your end-of-year report card, test scores, and evaluations, and summer is coming up sooner than you think. Make sure you’ve set aside at least two weeks this summer to sleep in, rest, and take time for personal reflectionyou deserve it!

–Katherine Cohen, Ph.D. President & CEO, IvyWise LLC http://www.iywise.com

Dr. Cohen graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Brown University in 1989. She continued her studies at Yale University, receiving Masters degrees in 1992 and 1994, and a Ph.D. in 1997. Also in 1997, she received certification in College Admissions Counseling from U.C.L.A
Prior to founding IvyWise, Dr. Cohen served as a Reader in the Yale University Office of Admissions, reading, evaluating and recommending for admission and rejection, hundreds of applicants to Yale College.
Dr. Cohen is the author of two books on college admissions. The Truth About Getting In and Rock Hard Apps: How to Write a Killer College Application.
Dr. Cohen is a member of the National Association of College Admissions Counselors (NACAC), the Independent Educational Counseling Association (IECA) and the Western Association of College Admissions Counselors (WACAC).

Cheap baby shower favors are the way to go to help you throw an inexpensive, yet classy baby shower. A cheap baby shower doesn’t necessarily mean a plain or boring baby shower. Au contraire, with a few cute ideas of some inexpensive baby shower favors, you can save money and still have a darling baby shower.

Anyone who has ever planned a baby shower is all too familiar with how much it can cost. Sure, the baby shower invitations don’t cost that much, the decorations are a reasonable expense. But when you start adding it all together, it can get a little too expensive. You have the invitations, decorations, food, centerpiece, games, prizes, favors & a gift! It all starts to add up pretty fast.

So, Where to Cut Costs?

One of the best ways to save money at a baby shower is to buy or make cheap baby shower favors. Baby shower favors are a “Thank you for coming” item or memento that you give to each guest for coming to the party. They don’t need to be expensive or elaborate; a little something sweet and thoughtful would be perfect.

How to Make Cheap Baby Shower Favors Cute and Memorable?

The single most important & meaningful touch that you can give to your baby shower favors is attaching a cute, heartfelt note to each favor. Use a fun thank you poem or a sweet note like, “Thanks for celebrating Julia’s little boy blue! The baby shower wouldn’t have been the same without you!” A simple, meaningful note will make your baby shower favors worth a lot more than an expensive, impersonal party favor.

Here are some simple & sweet ideas for cheap baby shower favors:

• Scented or decorative candles
 • Baby bottles filled with candy or chocolates (maybe Hershey's Hugs and Kisses?)
 • Cookie Mix
 • Bread Mix
 • Soup Mix
 • A Little Fruit Basket
 • Novelty Soaps (in baby shapes, e.g. rubber ducky, baby bootie, pacifier, etc)
 • Personalized candy bars
 • Scented body lotion (Little bottles cost less than $1)
 • Fun Hair Products
 • Scented Hair Spray
 • Fun Lipstick
 • Cookies, brownies, anything tasty!
 • Stationary - Any and all themes (baby, country, angels, stars, Winnie the Pooh, etc,)
 • Diaper Candy Cups
 • Nuts
 • Scrapbooking Supplies - This is a fabulous idea for shower favors because you can inexpensively put together several different items to make a little gift basket. You can put as much or as little as you want/can afford.
 

A helpful hint: Buying your favors in bulk and/or at a dollar store is a great way to save money on your favors (and other party items too).

Favors you can eat are always a hit! Anything edible is usually a great idea for cheap baby shower favors, and are good for both the mind AND the body, ’cause they taste so good! Send your guests home with a little something sweet.

Once you have chosen your party favors, wrap them in clear cellophane bags (which are very inexpensive at any craft store) and tie them with a cute strip of ribbon. Then add a simple & sweet note, and Voila! You have darling (and cheap) baby shower favors!

With the ideas above, it is obvious that cheap baby shower favors can still be cute and fun! Remember that baby shower favors are a simple gesture of gratitude towards your guests for coming, so they don’t need to be fancy nor expensive. Whatever favors you decide on, your guests will appreciate them and will have a cute (and inexpensive) favor to remember the baby shower by!

© Copyright Ann Neville, All Rights Reserved

For more details and favor ideas, visit Cheap Baby Shower Favors.

Find more of Ann’s baby shower articles and resources at http://www.plan-the-perfect-baby-shower.com .