My journal is a confidante, a creativity tool, and a way of finding clarity like no other. So, as soon as my children were old enough to grip a crayon, I have been encouraging to keep their own personal journals.

>> How does journaling benefit a child?

Children reap the same benefits in keeping a personal journal as do adults.

At all ages, there are just certain times when life feels fuzzy, and we know it’s time to get out our journal and write until things make more sense. Gaining clarity in this way can help us sort things out and determine when we need to talk things out with someone - and what precisely our needs are. In this way, journals serve as a remarkable way to increase self esteem and to allow children to observe their lives from a new perspective.

Journals offer a safe place for children to express themselves creatively. Journals also preserve memories for posterity. They offer the most authentic evidence of a child’s point of view at particular and various stages of their lives.

>> How can I help my child start journaling?

Here are some ideas:

- Above all, journaling needs to be fun for kids. I find the best success when I don’t offer specific prompts of exercises (because I don’t want it to feel like homework.)

- Kids also need to know their journal is absolutely private and confidential. A child needs to be able to trust that parents, siblings, and friends will not peek in to the journal unless specifically invited to do so.

Ask your child if there’s anything in the journal he or she would like to share with anyone, but make sure your child knows that you will not be reading it - and the focus is not on writing things correctly - but on expressing themselves and getting to the meat of her own thoughts.

- Allow your children to choose their own journal - and maybe a unique pen. Encourage your children to personalize the journal. Give them a magazine and have them cut out words and images that describe them and create a collage on the cover that is unique to them.

A personal journal doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, I find that I’m less inhibited in my journaling if the book is a plain old notebook or composition book. If your child is more apt to draw photos than to write, consider a sketchpad instead. Some kids feel most comfortable with some notecards and a special “thought box,” which can also be decorated and personalized.

- Emphasize the fact that there is no right or wrong way to keep a personal journal. This is about letting life flow and to capture it however you like.

- Write in your journal alongside your child. I am in the habit of writing in my journal each day. When you model that behavior, you’ll find that this is how your children use their journals as well. My daughter leaves her journal in the car so that it’s readily available during her quiet downtime each day.

If you are like many peo0le you can easily get stuck when it comes to the baby shower invitation. Finding the location, creating the guest lists and buying a cake can seem easy compared to picking the right invitation. The baby shower invitation will be the first impression that the guests will have of the event. It is therefore important to convey a message through the baby shower invitation. One really fun and very popular way to do this is use a baby footprint in the invitation. It is hard to resist the charm of a tiny little baby footprint. Baby shower invitations with a footprint are so irresistible be will just have to come to the shower.

So here are some creative ideas that you can use in creating your own baby shower footprint invitation.

1. Printed - A simple printed baby footprint can be a ton of fun. You can use a silhouette of a baby footprint to make the design. This will show the heel, toes and side of the foot. It will look as if a baby stepped in ink and then stamped the card with their feet. You can find clip art online by searching, use a stamp, use a real baby or even just freehand draw your own.

To put a little action into the baby shower footprint invitation you can make a series of footprints and make them decrease in size from large to smaller. This will give the illusion that the person leaving the prints is walking into the card. This is a great way to draw the attention of the viewer into the card and then place your important text information right above this.

2. Stamps - Stamping has become a very popular craft and is use widely among printers and crafters in the business of making invitations. You can easily purchase baby footprint stamps of varying sizes from your local craft store or on the Internet. These can make a fun and fancy decoration to the invitation. There are so many things you can do by varying the colors, size of the stamp and the paper the possibilities are really endless.

For example pick a cute pink (for girls) or a blue (for boys) ink pad and stamp a tiny border made up of footprints all around the invitation. Don’t worry to much about making them all straight or in line just have fun and stamp at random. This will give the invitation a light fun feeling.

As an alternative you can purchase a large stamp and simply stamp a big filled in silhouetted image smack dab in the middle of the invitation. Then you can creatively with fun colored pens write all around the footprint following the outline of it. This makes another fun creative and even whimsical invitation.

3. Embossing - This is where the baby footprint is raised from the page. There are two types of embossing. The first is by using a professional printer and paying to have the cards done. A printer can actually emboss the paper and have a raised footprint right in the paper. A baby footprint embossed onto a beautifully textured pure white piece of paper can look very elegant!

If you are the do it yourself type it is very easy to purchase an embossing powder in stamping or craft store. These come in all kinds of fun colors but often gold or silver embossing powder can look very elegant! With embossing powder you will need a stamp and some ink. You start by stamping the invitation with the baby footprint stamp first. Then before the ink dries you poor some of the embossing powder on the stamped area. The embossing powder will stick tot he wet ink. You can then hold the piece of paper over a light bulb or use an embossing gun to heat the powder. Once it gets hot it will melt and adhere to the paper. This makes a fun and easy way to have a very elegant gold embossed baby footprint shower invitation.

4. Cut Out - With this technique you will want to find some stiff paper. Then you will pencil in an outline of a baby footprint and cut it out. You can also make a simple stencil suing a file folder and then quickly trace around the stencil and cut out to speed up the process and make the results more uniform. Then on the baby of the cut out footprint you can write all of your important baby shower details. Where it will take place, RSVP information and so forth.

Either way that you choose the important thing to remember is to have fun in creating the baby shower invitation footprint. Get some friends to help you if you plan on making your own invitations as this will speed up the entire process. It can also be more fun with a group of girlfriends around a table talking and having a good time then cutting 25 baby shower footprint invitations all by yourself.

As an addition to the fun, baby shower footprint invitation, it can be lots of fun to continue with the footprint theme in decorating for the part. You can use the same stamps and decorations that you used on the invitation in other places to decorate for the shower.

Have the best baby shower!

Baby Shower Guide: themes, invitations and more. For more info try

Baby Shower Footprint Invitations

In the past when woman would attend a baby shower, there were no games involved. The only source of entertainment guests could expect was the opening of the gifts by the mother-to-be. Now, with the recognition that opening presents when you are not on the receiving end is boring, the introduction of baby shower games has filled the void and made a once monotonous event entertaining and exciting.

The choice of games is based on what kind of party you are going to throw. If it is a sit down event, the games selected should be games that are easily played while seated at a table. The hostess can prepare a sheet of paper with the names of celebrity babies on one side and the names of their parents on the other. Guests must try to match up as many of the babies with their parents that they can (the guest with the most right wins). On the other hand, a party can be held at a private house or a large hall where the guests have enough room to mingle. In that case, you’ll want to prepare games that are a little bit more active.

Place a baby bonnet in a box and wrap it with several layers of wrapping paper. Similar to hot potato, the guests pass the box around until the music stops. The guest who is holding the box unwraps one layer of wrapping paper. Have the guests continue until the box is completely unwrapped. After passing the box around one more time, the guest caught with the box must wear the baby bonnet for the rest of the party. The most popular game at baby showers, however, is baby bingo. At www.Baby-Showers-Etc.com you can find examples of simple and entertaining games fit for any baby shower.

Mrs. Party… Gail Leino is the internet’s leading authority on selecting the best possible party supplies, using proper etiquette and manners while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. A full baby shower resource is here at Baby Shower Games etc.

The method know as 3d ultrasound is that can be used during early pregnancy, it can provide 3d pictures of the fetus. Most times these ultrasound pictures are rapidly captured and joined together and animated to created a 4d ultrasound scan.

Three dimensional scans works in the same manner to the traditional ultrasound except that the ultrasound scanning pulses can be sent from multiple directions. The ultrasound waves can be redirected back then captured to provide information to construct a 3d picture in very much the same way as 3d pictures. 3 dimesional ultasound scanning was devised in the usa.

It’s important to understand that sonologists worldwide always conjured 3d images of the body in their minds while doing 2d scans. However, until recently it was very difficult to do this type of reconstruction on patient data acquired using ultrasound. The advent of 4d scans for the first time allowed us a peek into the mechanics of thinking of a sonologist and hence letting us view the images on the ultrasound machine.

The 3d/4d ultrasound image should utilize ultrasound energy following the same limits as conventional 2d ultrasound to create the 3d images. There is no data to suggest any harm due to 3d ultrasound, its use in non-medical situations should be undertaken with an understanding of the risks.

So you carefully fill a spoon with medicine for baby, move it near her mouth and the mouth doesn’t open! Maybe it’s the smell, but there’s no way she is going to open her mouth. Frustrating isn’t it. Where can you rest the spoon without spilling the contents! You haven’t got a hand free to try to open baby’s mouth. There’s only one winner in that battle, and it’s not you!

There’s a better way. Ask your pharmacist for a medicine syringe when you collect your baby’s prescription. No, you’re not going to inject the medicine!

Fill the syringe with the medicine, hold baby in the familiar feeding position to help her relax, then put the nozzle of the syringe in her mouth. As she starts to suck (the nozzle isn’t sharp, so it won’t hurt her tongue or mouth), slowly squirt the medicine into her mouth. Aim at the side of her mouth not the back of her throat - that could make her choke.

When the syringe is empty offer baby her favorite drink to take away the taste of the medicine.

Easy!

Always keep all medicines out of baby’s reach.

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Author: Tony and Katy Luck who run a site with advice on childcare, and a personalized gift site.
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A baby shower is a form of celebration that aims to welcome the newest member in
the family. Although baby showers were originally planned only for first-borns,
modern practices now allow baby shower parties for every baby that comes in the
family.

Baby showers are usually organized and arranged by the relatives and close friends
of the parents-to-be. They are a good way to help parents get started with the
things that they need for the baby. However, that there are some cultures and
religious beliefs that do not consider it appropriate and that it is considered bad
luck to have a party and bring baby things in the house before the baby is born.

Over the years, baby showers have evolved into various names, such as the
following:

- “Daddy’s shower” - a men-only party for dads-to-be

- “Grandma’s shower” - a party where guests bring baby items (such as collapsible cribs and changing pads) that grandparents can keep at their house.

- “Diaper showers” or “baby sprinkles” - a small-scale party that is usually held for successive children, and ideal for parents who do not need as many items (or gifts).

It is customary for a baby shower to have a theme, to which the entire party centers
on. Baby shower requisites typically include games, presents, food and a cake!

A party is never complete without a cake, and this applies to baby showers also.

Cakes are one of the great things about baby showers, and they can be made using
various basic techniques, such as the following:

1. All-in-together - this is done by placing the dry ingredients in a food processor
(together with the shortening) before progressively adding the liquid ingredients.

2. Creaming methods - this is done by ‘creaming’ butter and sugar together before
progressively adding the rest of the ingredients.

3. Rubbing method - this is done by ‘rubbing’ the butter into the dry ingredients
before adding the liquid ones.

4. Melt-and-mix - this is done by are first mixing the dry ingredients together,
adding the melted butter and the other liquid ingredients afterwards to complete
the cake.

5. Sponge-making - this is done by whipping the eggs and sugar into a froth, with
the flour carefully mixed in. Making a light sponge requires great skill, as it does
not use any raising agent or fat.

Finished cakes are usually enhanced with the use of frosting (icing) or toppings
(such as sprinkles).

There are different varieties of baby shower cakes to choose from. Some of them are
listed below:

Angelfood cake

Butter cake

Butterfly cake

Carrot cake

Cheesecake

Chocolate cake

Chiffon cake

Cupcake

Devil’s food cake

Fruit cake

Gingerbread

Ice cream cake

Mooncake

Pineapple upside down cake

Pound cake

Spice cake

Sponge cake

Aside from the cake varieties above, there are also a lot of baby shower cake ideas
that can make a baby shower celebration more special:

1. Belly Cake. One great idea is to design a baby shower cake and make it look like a
pregnant belly. This can be done by placing a circular cake in front of a rectangular
cake and frosting them together to resemble that of a pregnant belly.

2. Toy Blocks Cake. Another idea is to design a baby shower cake and make it look
like children’s toy blocks (either one large block or 3 to 4 smaller blocks). Toy block
cakes can be further enhanced by surrounding them with candies or little toy cars.

Of course, you can also experiment and try to come up with creative ideas of your
own. Bear in mind that the ‘objective’ is not only to make a yummy dessert, but also
a great centerpiece that will stand out in the memories of the parents-to-be.

© Copyright Vincent Chua, All Rights Reserved.

Vincent has dozens more baby shower related articles and tips at his site: baby shower theme, check them out today!