Mon Etoile di Gilbert Paraschiva

Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year

The Star full of love

I woke up one morning

and there was a star in the sky

I followed that star

all around the world

I was searching for love

and when I found myself

on the starting place,

after twenty five million miles,

I realized that  love was inside of me.

That star was a star full of love.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVK8JEm7pjQ&feature=youtu.be

Lyricists and Poets

In the history  of psichedelic and progressive rock there are lyrics that just can't stay up on their own words, without be based on the music they have been written for.

Instead we have some other lyrics that, even without reaching the status of poems, they may show a relevant level as autonomous scripts.

This the case of Keith Reid's lyrics, which have been mostly written for the sixty british band Procol Harum. 

They can be ascribed to the surreal and impressionist style.

Emblematic of Reid's productions surely are the lyrics of the Procol Harum's songs "A whiter shade of pale" "and "Homburg", two of the most astounding hits, not only of the band, but of all rock's history at any time.

And this succes is also due to Reid's lyrics. There is no doubt on that.

For the music, also emotionally suggestive, Gary Brook, the band's pianoplayer and vocalist, said openly he started moving from some J.S. Bach's melodies; and furthermore, band's organist Matthew Miller, succefully suit a claim on a british court for sharing millionaires copyright royalties for the music of great hit "A whiter shade of pale"; but nobody will never dare, or would have a legal reason to do it, to claim the rights  on 50% Reid's royalties for the lyrics.

I personally love very much the two songs above named (you can listen to the  first one through the link below); their memory is strictly related to my first dreams of love; I believe they are good and nice on music and words, though I keep on saying that not even the best lyrics can't be poems.

http://albixpoeti.blog.tiscali.it/2012/12/14/quel-bar-cosi-lontano/

7 Holiday Traditions to Start with Your Family

Some families have holiday traditions that go back generations.  Other families don’t really have any traditions at all.  Regardless of which camp you fall into, why not create a few new holiday traditions this Christmas season?  Traditions give everyone something special to look forward to year after year.  If you are at a loss as to what kind of things you can do to start a tradition, check out this list.

1. Look at the lights.  Magical twinkling lights are all around in the weeks leading up to Christmas.  Pick a night to take the whole family on a drive around the neighborhood or a drive through one of those huge displays that you pay by the car load.  You might want to bring along some popcorn and hot chocolate to enjoy during your drive.
2. Serve dinner at a soup kitchen.  Check with your local shelters to find out when they serve dinners and look into if you and your family can take part in helping those less fortunate.  Check early, because sometimes shelters take the first 50 people to help and then turn other volunteers away.  Christmastime is a popular time to help serve at the soup kitchen, and a lot of places will take reservations for volunteers.
3. Go Christmas caroling.  It doesn’t matter if you can carry a tune or not.  Dress warmly and print out the lyrics of some popular Christmas songs, then take a stroll around the neighborhood singing to folks.  This doesn’t happen as regularly as it once did, and people will surely be thrilled to hear a holiday song.  Ask some of your friends to come along if you are shy about your abilities.  There is strength in numbers.
4. Watch a tree lighting.  Most cities have a central square or other location where they have a big Christmas tree lighting ceremony.  Sometimes it’s tied to other winter activities that you might join in on as well.  Check with your city or online to see where the different tree lightings are in your area.
5. Go on a sleigh ride.  If you live in an area where there is no snow then you can look for a carriage ride and go on one of those with your family.  Check the yellow pages in your area and see where you can find a sleigh ride or carriage ride this holiday season.  It’s magical listening to the sleigh bells ring.
6. Invite friends over for Christmas Eve.  Get together with some friends on Christmas Eve and play games or watch a Christmas movie with some popcorn and candy.  Make it a potluck or order Chinese food for something completely different than what everyone will be eating on Christmas day.
7. Bake cookies for the neighbors.  If you love to bake why don’t you and the kids make up a bunch of cookies, candies and bars to take to the neighbors?  People usually like homemade food and will be excited to see someone from the neighborhood bringing them goodies.  You never know, the way to a cranky neighbor’s heart might be through their stomach!

Anything can become a tradition if you make it a point to do it every year.  Bake cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning or mix up a batch of homemade fudge.  You will be amazed how much fun it will be to anticipate these traditions year after year.

 P.S. This post was  proposed to me for publication by Sandra McAubre.  I'm therefore publishing it by her invitation and under her permission. See also the link below fore more information:

http://www.hireananny.org/blog/7-holiday-traditions-to-start-with-your-family/ 

10 Creative Places to Hide the Kids’ Christmas Gifts

When the kids are little it usually isn’t all that difficult to keep their gifts a secret, but as they begin to get older and understand that Christmas entails receiving gifts, they tend to get a little more inquisitive and may start poking around trying to find out where you’re hiding the presents.  If you think your kids are going to be poking around before Christmas in an attempt to locate their gifts, try these 10 different places for hiding them away from their prying eyes:

1. Trunk of the car – If the present isn’t going to be affected by heat or cold, keeping it in the trunk of your car is a great hiding spot because the kids rarely have a reason to be in the car without you being there too. Just don’t forget you stashed them there and send the kids to get something out of your trunk!
2. Empty suitcases – These are the best hiding places! Those suitcases sit there day in and day out and no one has any need to move them or look at them.  You can hide quite a bit of small gifts in one of the larger suitcases, however, if you have an overly bulky item you may need to think of another spot for it.
3. Under bed storage boxes – Most kids don’t have any reason to go under mom and dad’s bed, and the under the bed storage boxes will hold a lot of stuff.  If you have a typical bed, you won’t be able to store very big items underneath it, but Barbie dolls and video games fit well!
4. The neighbor’s garage – If you and your neighbor are friends, this is the ideal hiding place for big items.  You can put your item in a corner and cover it with a blanket.  This is especially great if their kids aren’t little anymore so they can tell their kids the present out there isn’t theirs.
5. A box in the attic – Attics offer a perfect hiding space as long as it doesn’t double as a play area for the kids.  Also, be sure that you don’t store things up there that might be affected by extreme heat or cold. Big items work well in an attic as long as you are strong enough to get them up there.  Cover them up with a blanket and you are good to go.
6. Behind your clothes in the closet – Keep the kids out of your closet this time of year! Hiding presents behind long dresses and suit bags is a smart place to stash them because at first glance, the closet looks the same, and only you will know where you stashed the secret items.  You can even use this spot to hide stuff for your spouse since it’s not likely he will move all of your dresses and shoes looking for his gifts.
7. Your work place – If you pick up some gifts on your lunch hour don’t bring them home, just leave them under your desk at work.  Or, if they are expensive, you can lock them in your desk or file cabinet.  Make sure the cleaning crew can be trusted.
8. Storage box in the garage – Buy a few extra storage boxes that match the ones you have in the garage already and hide the gifts in there.  Then, store the boxes behind normal storage boxes in case someone would happen to look in one.  Add an X or something on the box so that you will know where you stashed the gifts; it’s not good to lose the gifts you went to such lengths to hide!
9. High shelf in the closet – Use a coat closet or a guest closet to hide gifts in a box up on a high shelf.  Put some blankets or other storage items in front of it so it won’t stand out if one of the kids is playing hide-n-seek and decides to hide in that closet.
10. Linen closet – Most kids probably don’t venture into the linen closet very often, and if they do it’s probably just to grab a towel.  Hide small items on the top shelf in the back and no one will be the wiser.  Closets in the laundry room work well for this too, as the kids rarely would have any need to go into the laundry room, let alone the closet in there.

Make sure you keep a list of your hiding places somewhere so that you know where everything is hidden. You don’t want to be scrambling around in the days leading up to Christmas trying to remember where you so carefully hid everything!

 P.S. This post was  proposed to me for publication by Paul Taylor. I'm therefore publishing it by his invitation and under his permission. See also the link below fore more information:

http://www.babysittingjobs.com/blog/10-creative-places-to-hide-the-kids%E2%80%99-christmas-gifts/ 

10 Ways to Teach Young Children to Be Nice to Pets

When kids learn to treat animals with gentleness and respect, they also learn about compassion and caring on a larger scale, which are traits that can later be applied to the relationships that they have with fellow humans. For parents of toddlers and young children, imparting these lessons can be a bit of a challenge; here are 10 ways to help your little one understand the importance of treating animals well.

1. Set a Good Example – Children learn primarily through mimicry. They watch their parents and other authority figures, and then model their own behavior after their observances; one of the best ways to instill a love of animals is to have that same love yourself and to exhibit it often.
2. Research Local Programs – Your local Humane Society chapter or other animal activism organization is likely to have a program or two specifically directed at helping small children understand the proper treatment of animals. A cursory glance at a local message board or search engine results could net dozens of options.
3. Take Advantage of Story Time – Most kids love a bedtime story, and there are tons of books on the market written with this very subject in mind. A colorfully illustrated, well-written book about animals and the humans that love them can do wonders for explaining the concept of animal kindness to kids.
4. Teach Proper Handling of Small Animals – Helping a child to properly hold and handle a small or newborn animal while emphasizing the importance of being gentle is a great way to teach a hands-on lesson about carefully handling animals and never being too rough.
5. Visit a Petting Zoo – Spending an afternoon at the petting zoo can be a fun and informative experience for kids of all ages, but especially for little ones who wouldn’t ordinarily have the opportunity to interact with such an interesting array of animals or have access to professionals that are trained to help kids learn about them.
6. Share Interesting Facts – Learning that baby goats are also called “kids” or that butterflies taste with their feet not only entertain children, but also help them to see that animals have their own unique, interesting qualities.
7. Help at a Shelter – Taking a trip to your local animal shelter to help walk the dogs, feed the cats or do other fun and interactive chores not only makes a difference in your community, but also in your child. It might be best to stick to a privately run no-kill shelter or to be sure that no animals are scheduled to be euthanized during your visit, however, to avoid a traumatic experience.
8. Study Local Wildlife – A trip to a local nature preserve or national park not only provides kids with a day of no-television fun, but can also help them understand the very important concept that wild animals are not pets, but should be treated with the same respect.
9. Watch Kid-Friendly Television Programming – While you might want to skip the program chronicling the antelopes’ encounter with a hungry lion, there are plenty of kid-centric animal documentary shows that can provide strong talking points and valuable information.
10. Get a Pet – After you’re certain that your child understands the basic treatment of animals, introducing a pet into your home is a great way to keep their education going. Even if you live in a small space or urban environment that isn’t conducive to traditional pets, a small hamster or a goldfish can still help give your child a sense of responsibility.

Most small children need to be reminded to be gentle more than anything else, as deliberate cruelty is quite rare in children so young. Kids that show signs of harmful behavior might be struggling with a larger issue. If this is the case the child’s pediatrician should be consulted.

 P.S. This post was  proposed to me for publication by   Molly Cunningham. I'm therefore publishing it by her invitation and under her permission. See also the link below fore more information: 

 

 

http://www.liveinnanny.com/blog/10-ways-to-teach-young-children-to-be-nice-to-pets/ 

How to Hire a Nanny without Using an Agency

While nanny agencies are a popular way of securing private, in-home childcare, there are parents who would prefer to find a nanny on their own, without the services of such placement agencies. Fortunately for those families, there are a wide variety of ways to find a nanny without the assistance of an agency. From the best ways to find a nanny without agency assistance to the ins and outs of running the hiring show yourself, here are a few tips to help you along the way.

• Take Advantage of Nanny Websites – Nanny agencies typically charge families a fee in exchange for placement services because the agency does the job of sifting through their pool of available childcare providers and sending over the contact information of those they feel would be the best match for the household. Nanny job sites, however, operate on a different model, generally offering prospective nanny employers access to a master list for a nominal fee. While a job site designed specifically for nannies and their employers won’t cull candidates that aren’t likely to make the grade, they do charge far less. Some of these services are even free, existing solely on advertising revenue.
• Peruse Online Classified Ad Sites – While online local classified ad sites like Craigslist have been on the receiving end of a bit of bad press from time to time, they’re still one of the more popular ways to find a nanny without using a placement service. These sites allow users to post and respond to classified ads for free, and are broken down into cities or regions to ensure that most respondents live locally.
• Don’t Forget About Print – Taking out an ad in a local newspaper or free press publication might not be completely free, but it does tend to be fairly cheap and can still net results, despite the prevailing idea that print is a dying medium. The trick is to choose a publication with a fairly wide readership in order to reach the highest audience.
• Don’t Underestimate the Power of Word of Mouth – Ask around and you may be surprised at what you find. Friends-of-friends that are experienced and capable career nannies or the college student studying child development who lives on the next block could turn out to be a perfect fit for your family, and one that you never would have found through an agency. Social media is a great way to spread the word you’re looking for a nanny.
• Never Skip the Background Check – One thing that most nanny agencies do handle is the criminal background screening and driving record check that helps to ensure that you don’t inadvertently hire a nanny with a documented questionable past, a criminal record or a suspended license due to unsafe driving or poor decisions. Because nanny job websites and online or print classified ads offer absolutely no screening of the candidates that reply, it’s of the utmost importance that you never choose to forgo a background check.
• Be a Stickler for References – There’s nothing stopping a respondent to any advertisement from creating an entirely fictitious job history, so it’s imperative that you make every effort to comb through references submitted to you by promising candidates. Ensuring that an applicant is who she says she is, and that she actually possesses the level of education and childcare experience that she claims she does is solely your responsibility when you choose not to use a full-service nanny agency.
• Insist On Certifications – CPR and first aid certifications are required by all applicants in the hiring pool of reputable nanny agencies, but are not required by law for private childcare providers. There’s no standard licensing or certification process for nannies, so it’s up to you to ensure that a nanny applicant has up-to-date CPR certification and first aid training. This ensures that she is capable of handling any emergency situations that may arise.

While a nanny placement agency does take a lot of the hassle and guesswork out of hiring a nanny, it can also diminish the scope of your hiring power and be quite expensive. Rather than being restricted to a relatively small list sent over from an agency, you can cast your net wide and have a hands-on hiring experience. Provided that you take the proper common-sense precautions, are willing to invest the time and energy into screening nannies, and are vigilant about checking a candidate’s background and references, hiring a qualified nanny without the services of an agency is possible.

 P.S. This post was  proposed to me for publication by   Carol Watson. I'm therefore publishing it by her invitation and under her permission. See also the link below fore more information: 

http://www.nationalnannies.com/blog/how-to-hire-a-nanny-without-using-an-agency/ 

30 Blog Posts from Breast Cancer Survivors

Facing a breast cancer diagnosis can very easily be one of the most terrifying and stressful situations of your lifetime. It’s easy to feel isolated and alone in your struggle, especially if no one you know has endured a similar battle. Thankfully, the global village created by the blogosphere has an entire community that acts as a breast cancer support system through the blog entries of actual breast cancer survivors. From the earliest days of your diagnosis to the victory of remission, and everything that happens in between, these 30 blogs offer support, information and real-life advice to help you every step of the way.

Dealing with the Diagnosis

Immediately after receiving the news of your breast cancer diagnosis, you will probably run the gamut of emotions, experiencing everything from fear to outrage. There’s no “right” or “wrong” reaction, as these five bloggers explain in their own diagnosis stories and advice offerings.

• Dealing with Diagnosis
• Breast Cancer: Diagnosis
• It Started With a Delayed Diagnosis
• What to Expect After a Breast Cancer Diagnosis
• Breast Cancer Diagnosis: Where Can You Turn?

Chemotherapy

You’ll naturally want to learn as much as possible about one of the most common forms of cancer treatment, but scientific journals can be difficult for a layperson to decode. These five bloggers explain chemotherapy and share their own stories or the fruits of their research in plain language that’s relatively easy to understand.

• Does Chemotherapy Deserve Its Bad Rap?
• Tummy Troubles Linked to Chemotherapy
• Chemotherapy and Exercise
• For Those About to A/C…
• Experimental Biology Blogging: Cancer Chemotherapy and Cognitive Deficits

Managing Hair Loss

One of the most dreaded aspects of cancer treatment is the possibility of hair loss as a result of chemotherapy. Unfortunately, many women are hesitant to discuss the matter when they’re facing that anxiety, usually for fear of appearing vain. These five blog posts take on the subject of hair loss resulting from cancer treatment honestly, giving you practical and useful advice for handling this difficult situation.

• Raw October — Day 21 (Hair By Chemotherapy)
• Breast Cancer, Hair Loss, and Dismissive Doctors
• Coping With Hair Loss as a Result of Cancer Treatment
• A Shaved Head is Worth a Thousand Words
• Coping With Hair Loss From Cancer Treatment

Preparing for a Mastectomy

Even if you’re not yet sure whether or not a mastectomy is in your future, it’s wise to begin gathering information and familiarizing yourself with the procedure while learning to manage the resultant emotional fallout as early as possible. These five blogs approach mastectomy candidly and frankly, pulling no punches.

• Preparing for a Mastectomy
• Prepare for Mastectomy
• Top 10 Tips – Pre-Mastectomy
• “Preparing for Mastectomy”, After Mastectomy and Lymph Node Dissection
• Preparing for Your Mastectomy Surgery

Alternative Treatments

While most women that turn to alternative treatments are in the later stages of cancer, there are those that want to pursue holistic or alternative treatment from the moment of their diagnosis. In the interest of making sure that you have the best possible chance of emerging on the other side of this battle as a breast cancer survivor, these five blogs approach the subject of alternative treatment. Keep in mind, however, that most bloggers are not medical professionals, and that their advice is no substitute for that of your oncologist or physician.

• Less Invasive Breast Cancer Treatment
• Alternative Medicine Use and Breast Cancer
• Breast Cancer Treatment Options and Alternatives
• Looking Towards Alternative Breast Cancer Treatment
• An Alternative Therapy for Some Breast Cancer Patients

Remission

The ultimate goal after receiving a breast cancer diagnosis is to reach the Holy Grail of remission. These five blog entries discuss several aspects of remission, both from a personal and scientific perspective.

• Thank You, Remission
• Breast Cancer Survivor ROC – 25 Years in Remission
• Remission
• When Cancer Disappears: The Curious Phenomenon of “Unexpected Remission”
• Living for Years With Late-Stage Cancer

 P.S. This post was  proposed to me for publication by   Hannah Anderson. I'm therefore publishing it by her invitation and under her permission. See also the link below fore more information: 
http://www.fulltimenanny.com/blog/30-blog-posts-from-breast-cancer-survivors/ 

10 Tips for Interviewing a Nanny

The nanny interview is a hugely important piece of the nanny screening process. A comprehensive interview helps parents gather the information they need to make an informed hiring decision. As you begin the interview process, keep these 10 tips in mind:

1. Conduct a phone interview before you move onto a face to face interview. Your time is in short supply, so make sure to talk with a nanny on the phone before you invest in a longer face to face interview. During the phone interview you can cover the basics and see if your personalities mesh well.
2. Write down some key topics you want to make sure you cover. There are lots of things you need to cover during a nanny interview. It’s easy to get caught up in the conversation and forget to ask about things that are important to you. An easy way to make sure you hit all your points is to go into the interview with notes. It’s easy to refer to your notes throughout the interview or quickly review them at the end to make sure you’ve covered all you want to cover.
3. Ask open ended questions. You want to learn as much about the nanny as possible during the interview. One of the best ways to do that is to ask open-ended, situational questions rather than yes or no questions. Doing so forces the nanny to really put thought into her answers. It also gives you a better view into how she feels, what she thinks, and how she makes decisions. Instead of asking “Do you use time-outs?” ask, “Tell me about a time you had to discipline a two-year-old.”
4. Carve out time to talk with the nanny without your kids. It’s important that your attention is focused on the nanny during the interview. This is an important decision, and the information she’s offering during the interview will help you evaluate her and decide if she’s the best choice for your family.
5. Keep the interview conversational. It can be nerve-wrenching for nannies to interview for a job they really want. By keeping the conversation casual, you can help put the nanny at ease. Why is that important? When a caregiver is comfortable and doesn’t feel guarded, she’ll be much more likely to share her true self. That will give you the best view into who she really is and will help you make an informed decision.
6. Give the nanny the chance to ask questions too. There are lots of things the nanny needs to know about your job. Hopefully, you can cover many of the job description details during the initial screening process. However, as you talk during the interview, encourage the nanny to ask questions about issues that come up. It’s essential that the candidate have all the information she needs to make the best decision.
7. Ask the nanny back for an additional interview where she can interact with your child. Although it’s important to meet with the nanny without your child, clearly her ability to connect with your child is the biggest factor in your decision. Regardless of your child’s age, invite the nanny to spend time with your child. Observe her comfort level with your child, how hands-on she is, if she knows about the developmental stage your child is in, and how your child reacts to her. Remember, she knows she’s being evaluated, so chances are she’s nervous and won’t be as relaxed with your child as she normally would be.
8. If your children are old enough, involve them in the interview process. The focus of the nanny’s job is your child. If your kids are old enough to understand you’re choosing a new nanny, ask them to participate in the selection process. It can be something as simple as asking the nanny a question or two or having a real voice in the decision making process.
9. Don’t skip the working interview. When you find the nanny that fits your needs and meshes well with your family, ask her to come back for a working interview. Seeing how she actually is on the job will give you that last bit of information you need to make your final hiring decision. A working interview also gives the nanny a chance to see if your job is the best choice for her. This two way match is the key to a long-term, successful nanny/family relationship.
10. Let the nanny know how you’re feeling after the interview. If you absolutely love a nanny, let her know it. Highly qualified nannies are generally interviewing with more than one family, so let a great candidate know you want to pursue her. Give her a timetable for taking your next step and let her know when you’ll be contacting her.

A well-thought out interview strategy can help parents learn about the nanny and make the best choice for their family.

 P.S. This post was  proposed to me for publication by  Maureen Denard. I'm therefore publishing it by her invitation and under her permission. See also the link below fore more information: 

http://www.findananny.net/blog/10-tips-for-interviewing-a-nanny/ 

Should You Let Your Nanny Bring Her Child To Work With Her?

Many nannies who are also moms look for families that will allow them to bring their own child to work with them. This is a valuable benefit to the nanny and, under the right circumstances, can also be a benefit to the employer. Here are the things you should think about when deciding if this situation is right for your family.

Consider some of the possible advantages.

Parents may save money by allowing their nanny to bring her child to work. When hiring a nanny who has a child she wants to bring along with her, parents can often negotiate a lower hourly rate in exchange for the benefit. The nanny should still be paid fairly, however the benefit is often worth taking a lower pay rate or forfeiting another benefit like additional paid time off.

If your current nanny wants to bring her child, either because her current childcare arrangement has changed or she’s pregnant and planning for her return after maternity leave, there are a generally two ways to approach the money issue. In most cases the nanny forgoes an upcoming raise or bonus. If the new arrangement makes it impossible for your nanny to continue with her current responsibilities (e.g. she can no longer take the adult /child water class because that would leave her child unsupervised or she can no longer do school drop off and pick up because her car doesn’t have space for the extra car seat), a pay cut may be appropriate.

A nanny who brings her child to work with her can usually give parents more scheduling flexibility. Like all parents, the limits of your nanny’s childcare arrangement impact her work schedule. If your nanny has to be at her child’s daycare no later than 6:30 PM, she won’t have the option of staying late because you have a client meeting or need to finish a big project. If she’s able to bring her child to work with her, she has a lot more flexibility with her work schedule.

The nanny’s child can be a built-in playmate. If your child is an only child, having your nanny bring her child to work may be the beginning of a great relationship. Many parents say their nanny’s child becomes part of the family and is thought of like a cousin or close family friend. This can be a great advantage to both the nanny and her employers.

You can keep a beloved nanny who might otherwise quit. This is a very personal and important issue to your nanny. It can be very hard to care for someone else’s child when your own child is in daycare. Many nannies will leave a position they’re otherwise happy in to find a family that will allow them to bring their child to work. By allowing your nanny this option, you can keep a nanny that you and your child love, value and trust.

For all the advantages that allowing your nanny to bring her child to work offers, there are also some possible disadvantages that should be explored as well:

The nanny’s time and attention will be divided. Even if your nanny is completely devoted to your child, adding another child to the mix means there will be times when her attention will be divided. That doesn’t mean she can’t still provide high quality care. It simply means there will be times when she has to attend to her child before yours. It would be the same case if your child welcomed a new sibling into the house.

There will be an additional child to consider when deciding on activities. Adding an additional child to the mix, especially one that is not the same age as your child, may limit the activities the nanny can plan or participate in. A new baby can’t be outside all day at the lake like a 5-year-old can. A toddler can’t keep up with an 8-year-old on an afternoon bike ride. How much this affects your child’s daily environment depends on the nanny, her child and the things your child normally does.

The nanny may not be able to take on additional tasks. It takes more time and energy to care for two children than it does for one. If you were planning on asking your nanny to take on more tasks like grocery shopping or family meal prep as your child got older, that might not be feasible if she brings her child to work with her.

Allowing your nanny to bring her child to work can be a positive or negative experience. It’s an important decision for both you and your nanny, and it should be discussed honestly and in-depth before any decisions are made. There’s not a right or wrong path. In this case, the right decision depends on your needs and personal preferences.

P.S. This post was  proposed to me for publication by  Isabella Harris. I'm therefore publishing it by her invitation and under her permission. See also the link below fore more information: 

http://www.nannyjobs.net/blog/should-you-let-your-nanny-bring-her-child-to-work-with-her/ 

10 Fire Dangers Commonly Involving Kids

Few words strike fear in a parent’s heart like “fire.” There are many different ways for children to inadvertently start or be injured in a fire, and the potential for destruction is so great that the mere mention of fire can set off a panic among parents. Here are 10 of the most common dangers of fire in relation to children.

1. Matches and Lighters – Most children have a natural curiosity about fire that is paired with a limited understanding of the dangers that are typically associated with it. Access to matches or lighters can present a very real fire hazard as that curiosity takes hold.
2. Attempts at Cooking – Many appliances and gadgets in the kitchen produce heat; from the stove to the toaster, there are several opportunities for a child to accidentally set a kitchen fire in their attempts to cook.
3. Burning Candles and Horseplay – Kids, especially when there are more than one in the room, have a tendency to spontaneously burst into spirited play. However, rough-housing in a room with a lit candle can lead to serious problems. Should the candle be knocked to the floor or a flammable object fall into its wick, a small fire can quickly become a large blaze.
4. Campfires – Camping is a part of childhood for many, and sitting around campfires is a cherished part of the experience. When proper caution is exercised, the potential for a devastating fire injury is reduced; be sure that kids have a good knowledge of campfire safety before sending them off into the great outdoors.
5. Unattended Fireplaces – There are few things as homey as a crackling fireplace on a cold day, but leaving the fire unattended in a house with children can easily lead to injury and property damage. Curious kids might be tempted to throw things into the fire or engage in other unsafe behavior in the absence of an adult.
6. Hairstyling Appliances – Older kids that are beginning to use heated hairstyling appliances like curling irons and straighteners can create a fire hazard by placing the appliance on a flammable surface or forgetting to unplug it when they’re finished.
7. Lamps – When messy kids throw clothing over a lamp, or those with a penchant for decorating deliberately place scarves over lampshades, they are inadvertently creating a fire hazard in their own bedrooms.
8. Overloading Electrical Outlets – As more and more of the modern child’s entertainment comes from electronic gaming and computer devices, there may not be enough outlets in the room to accommodate everything. This can cause kids to overload outlets with surge protectors and the like, which can pose a serious fire risk.
9. Flammable Substances – The moment that a kid understands what flammable liquid is and the noticeable effect it has on an already-burning fire, curiosity can take hold and lead to very serious trouble. Educating kids about the dangers and repercussions of playing with fire is the best way to prevent this risky behavior.
10. Smoking – Despite the many programs aimed at keeping kids away from smoking, there will always be a few that insist on sneaking cigarettes. The need for secrecy paired with a limited understanding of fire safety make cigarette-related fires among the most common.

Kids are never too young to start learning about fire safety and prevention; this ongoing lesson could be one that saves their life. Additionally, if you have concerns that your child has an unhealthy fixation or obsession with fire, there are programs through your local fire department that can point you in the right direction to get help.

 P.S. This post was  proposed to me for publication by  Tina Marconi. I'm therefore publishing it by her invitation and under her permission. See also the link below fore more information:

http://www.babysitters.net/blog/10-fire-dangers-commonly-involving-kids/ 

And then four crows will fly away - Sixth Part

The mouse, a normal mouse of averages age and greatness, after spending twelve hours asleep, wakened up again. Apparently he seemed to be the same as before the injection, but actually moved in a different manner however. He had, in few words, a different air. He slowly started walking and pointing his feet and unusually moving the tail for a mouse; furthermore he sniffed and smelled the air and the ground of the cage. And I was much more surprised when I saw him stretching the anterior legs towards, before to idle them back; therefore, withdrawing them to curve the backbone actually to form a tall hump. The mouse was moving as a cat! That was the exceptional result! The animal seemed restless and took on turning around the cage with his feline behaviour. He was surely looking for some food. I gave him his usual mice food but after he had smelled it for a long time, he started over turning around visibly more nervous and hungrier. I opened a cat tin food and with my great surprise he devoured that meal in a flash. He grew up constantly in the following days, assuming a double massive structure compared to the same aged of his own race, then his growth seemed to halt. His epidermis had not suffered big mutations and not even its bony structure, at least externally showed to have introduced any peculiar characters, except for the moustaches and the legs, that seemed to have changed for a most congenial use to cat’s needing. In the movements and in the external behavior he moved as a cat though having the semblances of a mouse. A serious question had bothered me since the first days of the experiment: what would that animal, have done if I put him with another mice? And what would other cats do with him? Was he become a cat or had remained a mouse? With much trepidation I moved him to captivity with other mice: they started to squeak very afraid; it was evident that those small rodents had immediately warned the hostile presence. He had a good time pursuing them and grabbing them as cats make with mice, and at the end, exhausted and satisfied, he rested by a side of the big cage, while the little mice, to the opposite part, made heap, afraid and trembling. He didn't show any interest to eat them, perhaps because he was not hungry or even because something inside prevented him from doing it. The thing, after all, didn't interest me and I transferred him therefore with a real cat, and also there the success arose to me: they behaved as two bosom and jovial friends. At the beginning I thought to try his reproduction, but actually this would have been only an interesting and suggestive detour from my principal aim. In order to reach it I had to gather all my efforts, and the results of that first experiments constituted the base of my following job. First of all it was clear that the cerebral muscle, under particular conditions of temperature and environment, like those which took accidentally place that prophetic day in my laboratory, enucleated a particular, liquid and dense substance, containing the fundamental geniuses, that I call primaries; those which are responsible of the most intimate characters and most proper of the race. It was also evident that such substance appeared able to be moved into another brain and creating there a new habitat in which to regenerate its cells and with them to repurchase its functions and its aboriginal characters. I verified more times the exactness of these hypotheses, but only in a direction, that I define evolutionary. The experiment only succeed if the essence of a superior animal, in the steps of the evolutionary chain, was introduced in the brain of an inferior animal, while in the other way down, the phenomenon was verified in tone very attenuated if not straight deprived of consequence. I baptized the liquid essence ‘nouchefalon’', and I prepared hence myself to develop in the foreseen direction my experiments.

What would it happen if I transfused the ‘human nouchefalon ‘ in to the brain of another man?”

…..to be continued……

How to Make a Snow Ball Wreath

Make a statement on your front door this winter by creating a snow ball wreath.  These frosty snow balls will shimmer in the sun just like the real thing.  It won’t matter whether there’s snow on the ground or not, you will have the perfect winter accessory for your front door.  Get in the mood for winter and create this snowy wreath today.

Step 1

Gather up the supplies you will need for the project:

• 12” Styrofoam wreath
• 20 to 30 total- 2” and 1 ½” Styrofoam balls (other sizes will work)
• Epsom salt
• 3 yards of wide ribbon (for hanging)
• Mod Podge
• Toothpicks
• Paint brush
• Hot glue
• 2 bowls
• A fork or skewer
• Newspaper for covering work surface

Step 2

Cover your work surface with newspaper.  Pour some Mod Podge into a bowl.  Pour some Epsom salts into a bigger bowl.

Step 3

Stab a Styrofoam ball with a fork or skewer and while holding it over the Mod Podge bowl use the paint brush to paint a light coat of the glue over the entire ball.  Take the ball over to the bowl full of Epsom salts and roll it around to coat.  Tap the fork on the edge of the bowl to knock off any loose salt.  Set aside the coated ball to dry.  Continue coating the rest of the balls.  When finished, allow all of the balls to dry overnight.  If you would like the balls to look snowier you can add a second layer of Mod Podge and salt.

Step 4

Stick a toothpick in each finished ball about halfway in and start pressing them into the Styrofoam wreath.  Start on the inside of the wreath and work your way around.  You will want to put them very close together and try to alternate the 2 inch with the 1 ½ inch balls. Continue covering the wreath until most of the surface is covered.  You will want to make sure that the wreath will hang well so leave the back of it plain if you can or cover it evenly so that it will still hang well on the door.  Plug in your hot glue gun.

Step 5

Hot glue additional balls on top of those that are already stuck onto the wreath.  You will want to try to cover the entire wreath form.

Step 6

Loop the center of the ribbon around the wreath.  Leave some space and tie a bow.  The amount of space you need to leave will depend on where you want the wreath to hang on your door.  If you already have a hanger on your door you can adjust the ribbon and try it out on your door.  If you are using one of those removable self-adhesive hooks to hang this you can hang the hook wherever you need it to be.  Hang your wreath on your door or in your home.

Tips

To store your wreath you will want to fill the bottom half of a box with crumpled up white tissue paper and then lay the wreath on top.  Put another layer of crumpled tissue paper over the wreath and close the box.

To dress up the wreath you can add in some silver ornaments that would hang below the wreath or in the center.  Airy open ornaments like snowflakes or spirals will work best for this idea.

Your completed wreath will add a touch of sparkle to your front door and greet your guests all winter long.  To give this wreath a holiday look you can wire in an elf sitting in the center and change the ribbon to something appropriate for the holiday.  Then to extend the life of the wreath you can remove the elf and change the ribbon to a wintery blue.  Once you’ve gone to the time and expense of making this wreath you may want to leave it up for as long as possible.

 P.S. This post was  proposed to me for publication by Kathleen Crislip.  I'm therefore publishing it by her invitation and under her permission. See also the link below fore more information:

 http://www.nannycare.org/blog/how-to-make-a-snow-ball-wreath/

Tips For Teaching Kids About Compassion

Helping your child learn to feel compassion and empathy for others is one of the most important lessons you can instill in them as a parent. As bullying and cruelty become more prevalent, and children and teens are resorting to extremes to find relief from the torment of their peers, helping your child to understand how important it is to respect the feelings of others can make a very real difference in the world around her. While it’s not always easy to help a child grasp such an abstract concept, there are steps you can take, as a family, to make the concept of being compassionate more understandable.

• Model Compassionate Behavior – Just as your child learns to mimic your mannerisms and speech patterns, she’ll also take most of her cues about how to treat her peers, elders, animals and the environment from you as well. Making a conscious effort to model compassionate, altruistic behavior in everyday life is one of the most effective ways of ensuring that your child also learns to behave in such a manner. When your child sees you treat the world around you with compassion, she will instinctively follow the shining example you’ve set for her.
• Take Opportunities to Talk about Caring for Others – When your child is confronted with images of violence, cruelty or bullying through television, movies and even her everyday interactions with the world, it’s important to take the opportunity to talk about how she thinks the victims of those actions feel and how she might be able to help. With these examples to examine as points of reference, a largely abstract notion can become more concrete and easier to understand. Take the time to discuss empathy and compassion every day, especially when events or images bring the issue to the forefront.
• Volunteer as a Family – Spending time as a family performing volunteer work can give your child not only an up close and personal view of compassion and empathy in action, but also the satisfied feeling that comes with making a positive difference in the world. Making an effort to choose volunteer activities based upon your child’s existing interests, the age-appropriateness of the tasks involved, and her ability to immediately see a perceptible difference due to her actions can help your child understand that helping others is both important and rewarding. Working together as a family can also strengthen bonds, give you an opportunity to continuously model compassionate behavior, create talking points for later discussion, and allow you to monitor what she’s exposed to in the course of her volunteer work.
• Teach Kids to Stand Up to Bullying – While your child should understand that it’s never acceptable to approach a bully in a confrontational or violent manner, and that retaliation isn’t a solution to the problem of bullying, you should also encourage her to make an effort to stand up to school bullies in a compassionate and productive way. Reporting harassment of another child to school authorities, making an effort to befriend children that aren’t easily accepted by their peers, and never engaging in bullying activities are all effective ways of combating the problem without retaliation. It’s also important to explain that standing aside and doing nothing to assist a victim of bullying or laughing at cruel pranks is the same as condoning the treatment her classmate is receiving.
• Donate Outgrown Toys and Clothes – When your child outgrows her toys and clothing while they’re still in serviceable shape, it’s a good idea to get her involved in the sorting and packing process, and then let her accompany you when you go to make a donation. Seeing that the belongings she no longer needs are finding good use in a needy home can instill the importance of charitable giving, and ease any pangs of separation anxiety she feels.
• Practice Random Acts of Kindness – Keeping your eyes open for small acts of unexpected kindness that you and your child can perform together can not only help her understand the concept of altruism, but can also help to make it an everyday practice. Look for ways that you and your child can help whenever you’re out together; in no time, she’ll be spotting potential random acts of kindness herself.

While it’s not always a popular notion with harried parents, allowing your child to keep a pet can provide her with an everyday incentive to be compassionate and caring for a living being that needs her help to survive. Smaller pets, like fish or hamsters, can be just as effective as dogs or cats. Depending on your living situation and schedule constraints, adopting a pet for your child to take responsibility for can be another very effective way of passing along a lesson in compassion.

 P.S. This post was  proposed to me for publication by  Martina Keyhell. I'm therefore publishing it by her invitation and under her permission. See also the link below fore more information:

 http://www.becomeananny.com/blog/tips-for-teaching-kids-about-compassion/

And then four crows will fly away - Fifth Part

He was coming to inform me that my father had died and I had been named his only heir. He also told me that if I did not want to go immediately back to the country, he had brought for me to be signed some letters of attorney to allow his fellows to look after the most urgent matters of administration. I signed those proxies without not even reading them. On the economic plan I would have been now stronger than ever. My studies would get a great advantage from this new decisive financial impulse. But why didn't I feel any pain? Yet I had loved him, in the cheerful days of the infancy; and he had loved me. Thinking about the years of my infancy and the coasts of beloved and distant Cornwall, I finished to consume my poor meal, then I returned downstairs. I immediately noticed that something strange had happened during my brief absence. In the test-tube the brain of the cat had dried, acquiring a grey and pale color. I extracted it with the pliers: it seemed a dry sponge without neither weight nor smell. What devil had it happened? It was a gust of wind which answered to me. In that underground where I secretly developed my experiments, I had not left but a small window, that I wanted surfaced to the level of the ground. It had slightly disclosed , quiet enough to allow the passage of a provident ray of sun which, intruding the optic circuit of the microscope, had poured in with all its mighty energy, dehydrating completely the object of my experiments. But my light, initial disappointment had soon to be transformed in high exultation, when I closer observed the test-tube that had served like furnace to that unforeseen experiment. On its fund rested some drops of a dense and glimmering liquid! I had a lightning, an intuition that afterwards had to be exactly revealed. Admirably exact, my friends! I had found the way to extract from the muscle that contains our life, from the brain that contains all the knowledge of a human being its own essence. An extract, a summary, that is the same, but free from the physical brain’s encumbrance, from the grey mash that contains it. Free from the flesh as a soul is free from his body as an idea from his thinker as a thought from his action! As you certainly know all our mental energy springs by a simple chemical reaction that is continuously produced in our brain. Such reaction, that the physicians define with the name of “synapse”, is originated by the reaction between the liquid secretion in the brain and the cells on it introduced. In practice this liquid, that has equal molecular structure in every man, works as a tracing detector of the cerebral fabric, whose composition is, instead, what countersigns a man from another. The intimate reasons for such different composition of the cerebral fabric, have seen for a long time divided the humanity. Manhood has however been until now incapable to intend the true reason for the difference of the beings of its species. A human being, from the scientific point of view, it is only a product of a casual connection of the basically chemical mixtures that are contained in the cells. And all its activity is coordinated by the cerebral cells. To succeed on getting a distillate of those cells, meant therefore to dispose of a substance of inestimable value. You can of course imagine, what such emotion I felt when I injected those drops that were deposed on the fund of the test-tube, to a guinea-pig. The result was amazing, great and more meaningful than I had been able to foresee myself. 

...to be continued...