Make Beautiful Funeral Programs

A Beautiful Funeral Program Templates from The funeral programs Site available for download at a low price of $19.95. Front, Back and Inside designed Funeral Program Template.

Funeral programs can be as simple as a letter size paper, handwritten and folded in half or as elaborate as an engraved invitation obituary. It isn't necessary to have a funeral program for all memorial services, of course, but there are many reasons why its desirable to do so.

If the service is a religious one, it can serve as a form of instruction, helping people who are unfamiliar with the order of service to find their way easily and comfortably through the service. If the service is a secular, non-religious one, it will inform people of the flow and order of service, who will be presenting, sharing or delivering the obituary, and what the title of music and lyrics will be played.

For example, if a funeral service were to take place on a boat, the funeral program could explain how the ashes would be scattered, by whom, locations of the boat's destination points and order in which they will arrive.

Here is a simple example of a memorial format for a basic program:

- The name of the deceased
- Age, date of birth and date of death
- Name and address of the location where the service will be held
- Date and/or time of the service
- Name of officiant who will be leading the service

The order of service may include:

- Names of speakers
- Prayers or readings presented and by whom
- Hymns or other musical selections in the funeral service
- Invitation to a lunch or after funeral service reception gathering

Essentially, the funeral program can include anything you would like to share with attendees that highlight the deceased or look more closely into his or her life. Remember that it is a celebration of their life, their accomplishments, and the people they have touched.

Sometimes, funeral programs can contain more information or photos and can be put together in booklet format. There truly are no bounds in creating funeral programs. You can make it as elaborate as you'd like depending on how much time and assistance you may have to devote to the project.

There are many beautiful funeral program templates that you can purchase to assist you in accomplishing this task. The templates are good because they give you a step ahead by laying the foundation of the design for you. Often you just have to place the text and photos.

Whatever design you create for your loved one's funeral program, know that it will become a treasured keepsake and something people may keep as a remembrance of the deceased for a long time.
There are a few websites on the web today that offer really beautiful funeral program templates which will assist you in the production of this memorable keepsake.

Microsoft Word is a universal application software that everyone has installed on their computer, therefore it is the most viable choice with funeral program templates. The Funeral Program Site offers a wide selection of beautiful funeral program templates in a variety of designs.

Visit The Funeral Programs Site.

Other websites you will find helpful:
Funeral Programs
Funeral Programs
Download Funeral Order of Service Program
Best Memorial Service Programs
Memorial Service Program
Funeral Bulletin Templates
Template Funeral Order of Service
A Memorial Funeral Service Program
Laminated Prayer Cards for a Funeral
How to Write a Eulogy
Funeral Programs from The Funeral Program Site
Funeral Order of Service Programs
The Funeral Obituary Programs
A Funeral Obituary Program
A Tribute for a Funeral Memorial Service Program
Funeral Eulogies

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What Too Much Color Can Do To Your Hair

Sure, we all want to change our look every once in a while and sometimes that involves changing our hair color also. But there are a few adventurous souls that have taken changing their hair color to a whole new level with frequent colorings leaving their hair lifeless and damaged beyond repair.

While there are many professional hair coloring systems out there that only cause minimal damage to hair, many people still insist on buying hair color from department stores so that they can apply it at home. In many cases, this type of hair color causes extreme damage and if you use it too often, it could turn into a nightmare.

You see, hair color is a chemical that changes the structure of your hair. Each time you color, the outside layer of your hair is raised so that color can be pushed into the hair strand. With each subsequent coloring, this outside layer finds it more and more difficult to close to its natural and healthy position.

It is this layer that first takes the brunt of hair color damage. It is also this layer that is responsible for the shine and vibrancy of your hair color. If you color too much, you will first notice a dull or dry appearance coming from the roughened up outer layer of your hair strand.

In addition to making your hair look healthy and shiny, the outside layer or cuticle layer is also responsible for holding your color in. Once it refuses to close properly, your color will start to fade and over time, become completely washed out. Trying to color your hair again, will only be a temporary fix with the color always seeping out of the damaged areas.

If you ignore all of these damage signals and continue to color your hair, you will eventually break down the entire make up of your hair strands. At best, hair will become brittle and break. At worst, it will turn into mush and disintegrate right before your eyes.

To keep all of these dire hair color consequences from becoming reality, be sure to leave enough time in between colors for your hair to recuperate. Try not to do any drastic color changes for at least 6 months unless your hair is short. Also, do not color your hair from root to tip for each and ever color touch up. Color the roots only so that you can avoid further damage to the ends. And get those trims when you need them.

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50th Birthday Party Ideas For a Sensational Celebration

Is a 50th birthday party coming up and you're at a loss for ideas? Here are a few tips and ideas to help you get started.

You can create your own invitations by drawing 50th birthday theme such as "50" or over-the-hill gag themes.

A great themed 50th birthday party is 60's memorabilia. Have beanbag chairs handy for a groovy gathering. Share old stories about the guest of honor.

Be sure to include items such as a "magic bus", peace signs, and candles luminating the room.

Wear your flowered pants, John Lennon glasses and peace sign, or go all out with your leisure suit. Don't forget your hippie wig!

Have the guest of honor wear a birthday crown or Happy Birthday hat. Be sure to complement their outfit with an "over-the-hill" cane

Serve your food of choice on these tie-dyed party plates and tableware. Drinks can be served in psychedelic light up glasses.

An easy choice of games is to play a game of 60's trivia. There are several available including Trivial Pursuit 60s/70s editions.

Play clips from 60's TV shows or movies and competing teams guess first what movie/show the song was from.

60's karaoke is lots of fun and gets everyone laughing.

Complete the night with a Woodstock karaoke and flower power dance contest. Happy 50th!

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Teach the Alphabet: 8 Fun Tips to Teach Your Child the Alphabet

Knowing the alphabet is a vital precursor to learning how to read. Children who know the alphabet before entering school have a natural advantage over children who can’t identify the letters of the alphabet. Learning the alphabet doesn’t have to be an arduous task. In fact, teaching the alphabet is more effective when you make it fun. Different children find different activities fun, so try different teaching techniques. Here are eight tips you can try to teach your child the alphabet.

1. The Alphabet Song

It may sound very basic, but before you actively try to teach your child the visual representation of letters, first teach them the letter names with the alphabet song. After having sung this with your child several times, then you can start pointing to letters as you sing the song to show your child that the letter names actually match printed letters. Print out a sheet of large letters and point to them as you sing. After doing this a few times, hold your child’s hand and point their finger to the letters as you sing. Finally have the child point to the letters on his/her own as you sing together.

2. Point to Letters on Everyday Objects

Every so often throughout the day point to a word you see and tell your child the starting letter or ending letter. For example, if you’re out with your child at Walmart, as you’re walking towards the building say, “Look, Walmart starts with W.” At the breakfast table point to the cereal box at talk about the first letter of the cereal name, or if there’s a logo on your clothes, talk about the letters of the logo. There are countless opportunities to point out letters here and there. Encourage your child to point out letters that he/she knows and make a big deal about it when the child does this independently.

3. Do a Letter Hunt

Pick a letter as the theme letter for your letter hunt. Then go around the house, or the shopping mall, or wherever you are, and find the letter you are looking for in at least 10 places: signs, books, products, toys, etc. If you are at home doing this you can actually pick up the items and collect the 10 things in a pile. Kids will enjoy collecting the items and then going around helping you put the items away.

4. Alphabet Coloring Pages

Many children love coloring so much that they can spend several hours every week coloring. Why not print off some coloring pages with the letter prominently displayed and associated with a picture of something that begins with the letter. Tell your child what the letter is and have the child repeat it back to you. Then discuss the picture and explain that the picture also starts with the letter.

5. Alphabet Mazes

Some children aren’t as interested in coloring but really enjoy finding their way through a maze. While the child is working on the maze talk to them about the letter and have them repeat the letter name. Talk to them about words that begin with that letter. After they finish the maze have your child try to draw the letter at the bottom of the page.

6. Letters of their Name

Often the first letters children learn are the letters of their name. Start by just saying aloud the spelling of their name. If you can come up with a little song for the letters of their name then the learning is usually much faster. For example, if your child has a 5 letter name try replacing the letters of the song BINGO with the letters of your child’s name. With a 3 letter name you can replace the first 3 letters of BINGO with the letters of the name and replace GO with “spells name”. For example, with the name Pat you can sing “P-A-T spells Pat, P-A-T spells Pat, P-A-T spells Pat, and Pat is your name.”

7. Tracing Their Name

After they can say aloud the spelling of their name then make or print out some tracing pages of their name. This creates a direct association of the shape of the letters with the letters of their name. This activity strongly reinforces learning to recognize and print their own name. Not only are they learning letters, but also early printing skills.

8. Tracing the Letters of the Alphabet

After your child can read and print their own name, then he/she can start tracing the rest of the alphabet. This will reinforce the oral learning of the alphabet with early printing skills. Either create tracing pages of letters, or print out some pre-made letter tracing pages. Repetitive tracing of each letter will solidify their learning of the letter shapes.

The most important things to remember about teaching your child the alphabet are to keep it fun and keep at it daily. You don’t have to work at it for long stretches at a time. That will only frustrate a child. Teach the alphabet in little bits at various times throughout each day and you’ll be amazed at your child’s progress.

Copyright 2006 Sheila Anderson

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A Harvard Law School Takes a Look at Prenuptial Agreements

What is The Reason that Most People, Don’t Have a Prenuptial Agreement?

A recent release of a paper by a Harvard Law School Olin Fellow explains that about 5 percent of married people have such an agreement, although the facts are that more then 50 percent of marriages end up in a divorce. This Harvard Law graduate explains what she has discovered.

What Inspired Her to Research the Facts on Prenuptial Agreements?

The facts are that more then half of marriages terminate and these once loving couples end up in divorce court, and a microscopic 5 percent have prenuptial agreements in place. Most of the perspective mates upon deliberation decide that if they bring the possibility of a prenup up to there would be intended, it suggests that they are planning for divorce, she concluded. She would investigate why couples were not protecting themselves with prenuptial agreements.

What is the Reason Couples Contemplating Marriage, don’t have a Prenuptial Agreement?

The two main reasons that prevent people from asking their perspective partner to sign to a prenuptial agreement.

First of all, as stated previously the majority of couples feel it predicts doom to suggest a prenuptial agreement to their perspective partner. Rumor has it that when Jennifer Lopez asked Ben Affleck to agree to a prenup, Ben Affleck ended the relationship.

The other reason is the majority of couples believe that in spite of the statistics showing that more then half of all marriages end in divorce, it will never happen to them. They believe their there love will overcome any possible obstacles that can occur in their relationship and that their foundation is unbendable and more stable then most people, and divorce will never happen.

Is it true as the courts have stated that prenuptial agreements are not absolutely contrary to promoting the stability of marriage?

The reality is a Prenuptial Agreement can create a situation where the marriage will be more difficult to terminate rather then easier to end. You can design a prenup that states divorce can not happen unless a travesty has occurred, like being unfaithful or whatever you decide is important as a couple. And in contrast, the majority of states accept no fault divorce.

Is it a fact that when prenups have additional instruction besides divisions of assets and state specific provisions when a divorce can occur, be upheld in court.

To the best of my understanding this type of Prenuptial Agreement has not been tested in divorce court. In past years every state insisted that a spouse show fault before a divorce could be granted. But there are states that accept an agreement for a "covenant marriage" where one spouse will be required to show fault before filing for divorce. It would be unlikely that any court would limit a couple’s prenup because it has requirements for a divorce.

Are children of divorce more likely to have a Prenuptial Agreement before they marry?

Shocking as it seems, the answer is no! As stated previously the reasons couples don’t have a prenup in place is not logical but emotional. Neither partner wants to create a situation that predicts doom. There are also other significant factors that should be mentioned. 1) If one of the partners has wealth, it is likely they will insist on a prenup. If you are married it is unlikely you will ask for a prenup. 3) Women will usually not insist on a prenup.

Would you suggest that Prenuptial Agreements be Mandatory?

It is important to understand why a prenuptial agreement is a win, win situation for both parties. After examining the research above, I would recommend a prenup. A mandatory prenuptial agreement would be beneficial to couples. It would eliminate that uncomfortable discussion of bringing up the matter because everyone would be required to deal with it as a matter of law, even if they feel they will never divorce. Also the practice may eliminate unrealistic optimism of what the future may bring. Since everyone that marries will have a prenuptial agreement it will create a smoother transition into marriage. If this law was in place perhaps Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck would still be together?

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The Humble Beginnings Of The Cornhole Game

Not everyone knows what the cornhole game is, or at least they do not know it by that name. Some people call it the bean bag game, or the bean bag toss. Usually, it depends on what area of the country a person comes from as to what the game is called, but no matter what the name, the game can be quite enjoyable. How the cornhole game came about, though, is something that most people do not know, and there are also arguments between people who say that they do know. The true origins of the cornhole game can probably never be completely proven, but there are two main theories. In addition to those, however, there are some smaller theories that most people who play the cornhole game do not give any credit to or take very seriously. One of these theories is that the cornhole game is an overseas game which was started in Europe. Most of these theories say that it was created in Germany, but there is really nothing to back this up. German folklore and tradition does not make mention of the cornhole game.

The two most credible theories indicate that the cornhole game � or the bean bag toss � started in Either Chicago, Illinois, or Cleveland, Ohio. The people in Cleveland claim ownership of the game under the cornhole name, while the people in Chicago generally claim ownership of it under the bean bag designation. It is unlikely that the game spontaneously came about in both places at the same time, but this is not impossible. The story goes that some people spent their free time tossing washers into a can in order to help alleviate their boredom during slow working periods. From this, the cornhole game or bean bag game evolved. People who live in Chicago claim it happened there, and people who live in Cleveland claim it happened there. The game is basically the same, however, no matter where it got its start and what it is called. For the bean bag game, the board is a bit smaller. It is two feet by three feet, as opposed to the two foot by four foot board that is used in the cornhole game.

This appears to be the only significant difference, and many people who play a game that they call cornhole actually use the smaller boards as well if they go to tailgating parties, birthday parties, or other events where the smaller board is much easier to maneuver. The game is then played with the board � either wooden or plastic � and the bags, which were originally stuffed with corn or beans. Some of them still are, but most of them are filled with plastic pellets in commercially made sets, because the plastic does not degrade over time like corn or beans can. The bags are thrown into the hole in the board to score valuable points, and points are also given to people who get the bag to stay on the board, even if it does not fall into the hole. It is a game that can be enjoyed by all ages and skill levels.

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Halloween Party Games and Craft Ideas For Children

Kids love to dress up as their favourite characters at Halloween, but these days you might not feel comfortable letting them out and about to go Trick or Treating. Why not do something a little different this year and let your kids invite their friends over for a Halloween Party? They can all get dressed up and enjoy some spooky fun in the safety of your home.

Here are some ideas for party games and Halloween craft activities to keep them entertained.

Halloween party games

1. The not so spooky Halloween parade

The little ones will want to show off their costumes so put on some mussy and have the kids put on a Halloween costume parade. Get them to do their best dance moves to the music and ensure the adults whoop, cheer, and look suitable spooked!

2. The Trick or Treat bonanza

Cut up some paper strips and on half of them write the word "treat", on the others write out a number of tricks, such as "hop on one leg", "growl like a lion" or "sing their favourite song".

Put all of the paper pieces into a hat or a pillowcase and hide some sweets and candies around the room.

At the party ask each child to draw a piece of paper from the hat. They then have to perform the trick or search for the treats.

Halloween craft ideas

When the kids have run off all their energy on the party games have them sit around the table for some quiet craft time. Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. Not so spooky Halloween mask making

Have a supply of white paper plates, glue, ribbons, felt pens and other craft items ready and ask the kids to make their own masks. They can design them to be as fun or as spooky as they like.

When everyone is done with their creations pierce a hole in each side of the plate and attach a piece of elastic so the kids can wear their masks, and pose for a group photograph!

2. The great Halloween loot collection

Kids love to take loot bags home from parties so let them decorate their own bags. You'll need the same craft supplies as for the mask making, but this time they'll need brown paper bags to decorate.

When the decorating is complete let the children go back to playing and fill the loot bags with candy and Halloween themed treats, when the party is over they can take their loot bags home.

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The Neighborly Thing To Do

While browsing through the website for my hometown newspaper, the Door County Advocate, I found myself drawn to the Traveling Back section, an impromptu history lesson of Midwestern sensibilities about small town life ranging back ten, twenty, and sometimes a hundred years ago. Since my own memory is stretching back farther each day, sometimes I stumble upon events I remember or which involve people I used to know. One particular story caught my attention today, and I thought you might find it interesting too. Taken from "50 Years Ago, July 17-19, 1956," the event chronicled includes a cow, a lightening bolt and a resurrection of sorts.

"A West Jacksonport cow, knocked unconscious by a lightening bold July 13, is alive and well today because of a quick-thinking Wisconsin Public Service meter reader who administered artificial respiration. The meter reader, Bill Wiesner, was in the area when the lightening struck the cow, knocking it over with its legs in the air. Wiesner pumped the front legs and a neighbor came over to help. When the cow showed signs of life, the two men, assisted by the cow's owner, Frank Lautenbach, heaved the animal to her feet and she ambled away."

Residents of the Northeastern United States may possess a frugal Yankee nature, and the Southerners can lay honest claim to some fine hospitality, but we Midwesterners are as practical and multi-talented a people as you will find anywhere. We are also a neighborly sort who like to see things work out to best advantage for all concerned, especially defenseless animals minding their own business on a stormy afternoon.

The story is from a vantage point a few years before my time, but it apparently wasn't all that unusual for someone who could help someone else in an emergency to do so. Although the frontier was already faded into the distance, the pioneer spirit of assisting each other for the good of the whole community was a strong instinct that still clearly served its intended purpose. Nowadays we hear more about not being able to get service people to our homes to handle their actual jobs, let alone extending themselves to just be kind and helpful. God forbid you should have an electrocuted cow in your back yard when the cable company representative finally shows up to install your high speed interned connection because they probably won't have the skills or the inclination to revive the poor animal.

Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan, found in Luke 10:29-37, doesn't speak about what occupation this traveler who assisted the beaten and bedraggled victim of the story held, or what a glitch taking the time to provide help may have put into his own schedule. What we do know is that Samaritans were not well-loved or even respected by the Jewish community at the time, and perhaps Samaritans felt equal disgust toward their Jewish contemporaries. Basically, Jesus was being put in a corner by a lawyer who wanted to justify his own position on how to inherit eternal life. Jesus and the lawyer had already squared off on loving God, our neighbor and ourselves as was written in the law. But the lawyer wanted more, something specific to prove to himself and whoever was listening, that would indicate what the law really meant. So the lawyer asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?" What the lawyer meant was, "What does it mean to be a neighbor?"

And so, Jesus recounted the full parable, how two people who should have helped the beaten up soul on the side of the road walked on by before the Samaritan stopped to help. And then Jesus posed a question back to the lawyer. "Which of the three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?' He said, 'The one who showed him mercy.' Jesus said to him,"Go and do likewise (Luke 10:36-37)."

Jesus' parable answered the question, teaching us that being a neighbor meant extending our thoughts, beliefs and actions beyond the social norms and societal pressures of minding our own business and not helping people we are told not to like, even if there is no discernible reason not to help or like them. By stretching ourselves out a bit, exercising compassion and kindness and lending a helping hand to someone in need, we are living into the great commandments. We are also extending God's grace a little further into eternity. We are being neighbors.

And so we are called, to do the neighborly thing, whether that means resuscitating cows, helping a fellow traveler with medical treatment and lodging or providing a cup of coffee when our next door neighbor's supply has run out. We are called to be neighbors, to offer kindness and compassion and mercy whenever we can.

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The Outline Of Funeral Speech

It could be that you didn't essentially know the individual all that well, and so if this is the circumstance, it can make additional perception for you to inquire associates and spouse and children of the deceased for some of their favourite recollections of the particular person prior to you strategy your speech. These can then be made use of in the last segment of your speech. Incorporate between 4 and six memories. By making use of other people's memories, you'll obtain that you can relate to the audience a tiny extra.

Furthermore, it is a awesome concept to include things like in the closing words area of your speech a phrase or a lyric that the deceased often utilized or liked. One thing that is poignant and pertinent to the predicament, and if attainable, that is also uplifting. This enables your speech to finish on a a lot more optimistic and celebratory note.

For most persons, a funeral speech is challenging to make. If you are asked to make a funeral speech, you will need to take some factors on the items you can involve in the eulogy. You will need to talk about the important details about the person's life. Not all individuals have the talent to write a eulogy and most find it a lot more tricky to make a funeral speech for the reason that they are too close to the person who died.

If you do not know what to include things like in the eulogy, you can make use of a sample funeral speech, which you can get from the world wide web. A sample funeral speech can give you a helpful systematic tutorial on how to start off your eulogy. You do not have to be concerned if you do not have the skill of writing a eulogy as lengthy as you have a sample funeral speech to help you along the writing approach.

If you are getting troubles in generating a funeral speech, the following are some pointers to give you options on how to do your eulogy.

1.Have your time in composing the speech and rushing will not be valuable. To get started, feel a about recollections you want to consist of in your eulogy speech. You can inquire other individuals for their advice including your associates, spouse and children members and co-employees about their memories about the individual.
2.It is very best to hold your funeral speech small. It is suggested to write a funeral speech that will final for at minimum two to five minutes. Include only the crucial recollections you have shared with the person.
3.You do not have to make a summarization of the person's daily life. Just pick a topic, which you imagine is necessary to say, a person that can be remembered. You can include the person's identity. Very good examples to say are how he or she had touched other people's lives, the person's values that motivated your existence, some attributes of the person's life style and the amusing, exhilarating, warm and amusing moments you have shared jointly.
4.It is vital to be truthful in everything you say in your speech and make sure that it arrives from your heart.

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Condolence Letters: Writing a Condolence Letter to an Adult Who has Lost a Parent

Condolence letters offer comfort and support long after the death of a parent, which can take years to accept. Your condolence letter can be a source of comfort throughout those difficult years. As we grow older, we start to reconcile with the fact that our parents are likely to die before us. Our parents are living longer, which give us more time to come to terms with their death. But when faced with the reality of their death, it is very difficult to overcome emotions of grief and bewilderment. A condolence letter written sincerely can help the bereaved adult child through the difficult times ahead.

Adult Children Dealing with the Death of a Parent.

Regardless of your age and experience, your parent is always your parent. Your bond with your parents is a part of your identity that never goes away. Everyone can relate to the death of a parent, biological or not, grandparent or guardian.

Each of us is a son or a daughter, who at some point will lose a parent. You can use this knowledge as a basis for your condolence letter to the bereaved adult child. If you’ve already lost a parent, think back to what you felt and how you reacted and imagine that’s what the bereaved is feeling right now. If you haven’t already lost a parent, imagine what that might be like for yourself and the bereaved. Jot down those emotions and notes to use later in your condolence letter.

A friend of mine, whose father had passed, told me how terrified he was of approaching age forty-two because his father passed away at age forty-two. When parents die, you become more aware of your own mortality. Sometimes you might feel your parents have abandoned you and you are now an orphan no matter how old you are. The sense of loss overshadows everything you do.

Understanding this will help you to write an excellent condolence letter that truly comforts and supports the grieving adult child.

Dealing with Grief

For many adult children, grieving in public is unacceptable. People frown on such behavior. Friends and well-wishers focus their attention on the surviving spouse, or the grandchildren. No one recognizes that adult children are also grieving. In addition, when there is one surviving parent, the adult child feels it is his or her duty to “take care” of their parent and stifle their own grief.

Your condolence letter should acknowledge the fact that grieving is not only acceptable, but also necessary to get past the pain of losing a parent. Your condolence letter will likely be read in private when the bereaved can allow their emotions to come out, no matter what they are, sadness, anger, fear, relief, and so on.

Death after an Extended Illness

As an adult watching your parent go through a long period of severe illness is burdensome. The strain of being financially and emotionally responsible for their care is tremendous. You also have to devote a lot of your time in caring for your parent. If you consider the positive side, you will have more than enough time to prepare yourself emotionally to say your goodbyes. On the other hand, death can bring relief mixed with anger, exhaustion and depression.

Your condolence letter to the adult child of a parent who died of an extended illness should also acknowledge the dedication and commitment it took to take care of them, and now the bereaved can take rest and look after him or herself now. They did everything they could for their parent.

The death of a parent can be devastating, a relief or any emotion in between. Knowing that there is a complex relationship between parents and children and understanding that this is a difficult time no matter what the relationship was like, will help you write a touching and effective condolence letter.

The most important thing to remember is it doesn’t matter what you write. Just go ahead and write that condolence letter.

To help you get started, look at these free condolence letter examples online. You'll find excellent samples for many different situations to use as inspiration for your own letter.

Obituaries Help is also an excellent resource for other condolence message examples and sympathy resources. If you want to include a sympathy verse or sympathy quote, you'll find many examples online for free. Obituaries Help is the best free resource for letters of sympathy and condolence.

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Virtual Death Memorials

On March 27, 2005 at the Big Easy’s charmingly bizarre Barrister’s Gallery, artists will experience what afterlife will be in a virtual death memorial group show – Hydriotaphia: New Orleans Artists Design Their Own Funeral Urns. Barrister’s Gallery owner, Andy Antippas will act as curator with artist, Dan Teague. To spice up the show and heighten enthusiasm for it, Antippas declared, “What are memorials to the dead but touchstones for the great post-mortem popularity contest? He whose gravestone draws the biggest crowds wins”

Digital artist, David Sullivan plays off the self-esteem type of virtual death memorial by coming up with his Ego Machine. In order to put the fun back into the funeral, this project of Sullivan uses Google, as protector of his soul into the future. His concept for the Ego Machine was that the vanity of death memorials levels off with the use of the internet like a vanity mirror. He had also emphasized today’s geeky technological interests – robots, artificial intelligence, DNA replication and cloning – that somehow are manic on immortality.

The Ego Machine has an urn for Sullivan that was visually interesting, gives chance for user involvement and allows citation of his physical body. His remains will be integrated in a computer processor. As a memorial, a virtual agent shall run on the computer containing his ashes and scour the web for mentions of his name. Once mention of his name increases across the web, an image of Sullivan’s younger self will morph on-screen. However, once mention decreases, his on-screen image will age, diminish and ultimately fade away.

The program that powers Ego Machine was authored in Macromedia Director. The program uses a web-spider that goes through the web gathering and indexing specific information automatically, the data being mentions of Sullivan’s name. The data found, containing the originating web address, context and date, where Sullivan’s name was mentioned will be logged into a mySQL database. The Director program then accesses the gathered data through a plug-in called xMySQL.

The Ego Machine’s prototype will be presented in the virtual death memorial gallery. He’s to encourage visitors to link into his website, discuss him on their blogs or visit the Ego Machine’s beta version and manipulate his store of after-life points. Meanwhile, the gallery visitors will be given a chance to interact directly with its non-beta version.

Other graphic design artists also created pieces for the show. An urn that holds the remains of Roy Ferdinand, an artist who lost his battle with cancer on Dec. 3, 2004, will also be shown. Two artists are commissioned by Antippas to create Ferdinand’s urn that displays some of the things he treasured and his artworks, after Ferdinand’s sister handed over Ferdinand’s ashes to Antippas.

The show simply showed that even as we are practically mortals and all, not entirely permanent in this world – technological advances may help in making us virtually immortal. -30-

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Where Can a Funeral Casket Be Purchased?

When an individual passes away, they are generally buried in a casket. Funeral caskets can be purchased directly from the casket makers or from a funeral home.

Typically individuals purchase a casket from a funeral home. Funeral Homes, also commonly referred to as funeral parlors, are designed to help families cope and arrange a memorial service for their deceased loved one. Depending on the selected funeral home, many offer assistance for all of the planning stages. This may also include selecting a casket.

A funeral home may offer a wide selection of funeral caskets. Many locations will have their selection on hand for viewing or in a catalog display. Depending on the number of caskets available, there is usually a wide selection to choose from. Funeral caskets are made from various different materials. They can also come with many different designs or artwork, if preferred. For example, a casket could have crosses, hearts, angels, or other peaceful or religious ark work carved in. There are also caskets that come with detachable pieces, allowing family members to keep this as a memento.

Funeral caskets are important because they will be seen at memorial services. The deceased individual will be buried in it and it will be the last memory that many friends and family will have of the deceased. Selecting a funeral casket is a decision that many family members must all agree on.

Another common place to purchase a casket is directly from the maker. This is often done if a casket needs to be custom made or personalized. Funeral Homes also purchase caskets from the manufacture. Since they will generally purchase a large amount of caskets at one time, they are typically given a wholesale casket price. This means that they will be purchasing their caskets at a price lower than normal. By purchasing a wholesale casket lot, many funeral homes are able to offer their quality caskets a reasonable prices to their customers.

A customized funeral casket directly from the maker will likely have to be ordered in advance. It is not uncommon for individuals to make burial arrangements ahead of time, especially if they are sick. More and more elderly individuals are trying to plan out their funerals and other final expenses. This is done to help relive the financial burden on remaining family members. Although it is typically common to order a customized casket in advance, there are many casket makers who will rush an order. This feature is nice; however, it will likely cost a large amount of additional money.

No matter when a casket is purchased, there are great deals available on quality funeral caskets. Although it is a difficult decision for family members, there are many who are selecting a casket based solely on price. Thanks to wholesale casket companies, many funeral homes are able to offer their fine caskets at discounted prices. Finding the perfect casket may be expensive, stressful, or time consuming task, but it can be one of the most important decisions in an individualís life.

Alternative Gift Wrapping Ideas

Sometimes wrapping gifts can be equally as stressful as buying — and sometimes equally as expensive. Here are some quick and cost-effective ways to nix the wrapping this year.

1) Baskets: They come in all sizes and shapes and can make even simple gifts look attractive. Packing your gifts in baskets doubles the pleasure as most will reuse as holders for bread, towels or fruit, or simply as an accessory. Wrap your goody-filled basket in cellophane and tie with a ribbon.

2) Tins: Antique and reproduction tins make useful and decorative additions to any kitchen. They are ideal for packing such food gifts as gourmet coffees and teas, spices, candy, cookies and cakes, and they will most likely continue to be used.

3) Jars: A Mason jar is the perfect container for homemade condiments, preserves or store-bought candies. Tie a red-and-white cloth napkin around the top and secure with a plaid or gingham taffeta bow.

4) Cloth bags: You can make these by sewing two colourful pieces of cloth together and inserting a drawstring, or you can purchase bags at a store or online. Small bags can be reused to hold jewellery, while larger bags are great for laundry.

5) Photo boxes: This saves a lot of time. Simply place a gift in the photo box and add a tag and a bow. Photo boxes come in an array of colours, patterns and sizes and you can find them for almost any occasion, giving the gift the feeling of being wrapped.

6) Recyclables: You can use movie posters, newspapers, pieces of fabric, comics, maps or whatever else you have lying around the house! Depending on the occasion or the recipient, you can be as basic or as creative as you like.

7) Ribbons and Bows: If something is large enough — or too awkward to wrap — avoid the wrapping process all together and stick some curly ribbons or a pretty bow on it. Scraps of coloured yarn can work for those who are trying to be extra thrifty.

8) Envelopes: For gift cards or gifts of money, place in a card and envelope. Write a letter on the outside of the envelope, roll up and place in a bottle to create a ‘message in a bottle’ effect — or punch a hole through the corner of the envelope and tie a colourful ribbon through it to hang it on a tree.

Being creative and using items around the house can save you time and money. Have fun with these great ideas – the recipient of the gift will enjoy your creative thoughtfulness.

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The Value of Being a Stay-at-Home Mom

All you stay-at-home moms can take heart! A recent newspaper article stated that in the USA there are about 5.4 million moms opting to stay home and care for their children rather than going outside the home to work.

But just because mom isn't bringing home a weekly paycheck doesn't mean she isn't contributing to the family's finances. As we all know, some of the hats we moms wear are: chauffeur, cook, housekeeper, nurse, chief financial officer, child care worker, and many others!

In today's world, the value of all these jobs, on a 24/7 basis would be worth a yearly salary of over $100,000!

If mom went back into the workforce, many of these jobs would need to be done by someone else, at a considerable cost. So the work of being a Stay-at-Home parent does provide a high financial value. And that doesn't even take into consideration the non-financial benefits that families reap!

--Every day we make deposits in the memory banks of our children!--

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Using Poetry For Meaningful Words For Memorial Services

The loss of a loved one is the hardest thing that you will ever have to go through in your life, and you might find that at many times you feel hopeless. There are lights at the end of every darkness in life and the death of a loved one is no exception. There are many ways to deal with the death of a loved one, and there are many things that you can do to help yourself or to help someone else who is dealing with death. The use of bereavement poems can greatly help someone, or yourself, cope with the loss that is facing them.

A bereavement poem is a poem that you can use in a eulogy, a remembrance service or on a memorial site as a way to deal with the death of a loved one through imagery and words. When you are having a service, when you need something to get you through it, or when you are looking at words to have posted somewhere in memory of your loved one, a funeral or memorial poem is something that you might want to think about.

There have been many in memory of poems that have been written in the past for many situations. There are funeral poems for the loss of parents and grandparents, or children, or friends or other family members. Each memory poem has the potential to speak to your heart and to the hearts of the people who have lost loved ones. A memorial poem is designed to help with the coping process.

When you are thinking about poems for funerals, there are a couple things that you want to remember. Poems for memorial services should somehow have reference to the person that you have lost - their life, their loves, their faith or something that they loved. You want to be sure that the poem you have chosen is one that is going to speak to you and speak to the other grieving family members.

A well-chosen funeral poem can be something that you hang on to for a long time. You may want to consider printing copies of the memorial service poem to keep and to give to others who want to keep it. By having this poem with you and keeping it along with photos of your loved one either in a scrap book or on an online memorial website, you have words that you can always go back to for a memory. Writing down feelings either in prose or in poetry is highly recommended as a way to deal with severe grief.

All of the memories that you have wrapped up in a certain person can be easily expressed with a well chosen funeral poem and you will be able to keep these words as a memorial for a long time to come. Share a poem with others in hopes of helping them deal with their grief over losing a loved one. It is only by dealing with the grief that comes with losing a loved one that you can truly come out on the other side and learn to live your life again.

Learn about peacock orchid and orchid varieties at the Types Of Orchids site.

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Purposeful Perspective

Dr. John Gray (Mars/Venus) tells a story about how his father was robbed by a hitchhiker and left in the trunk of his car. In the heat of the day, his father was unable to get out of the trunk, and ultimately died of heat stroke.

After the funeral, Dr. Gray says that he felt a need to connect with his father, so he climbed into the trunk of the car, and as they closed the lid to the trunk he saw what his father had experienced. He saw where his father had reached through the rear light encasements in an effort to get air.

As he reached through the same place, his brother on the outside of the car asked him to see if he could push the button. Dr. Gray reached around, pushed the button, and the trunk popped open.

He was stunned. If only their father had thought of this, he would still be alive. But it took his brother on the outside to notice the button.

The lesson? Sometimes you have to step outside the situation you feel trapped in to see that you’re not trapped after all.

My own father used to say to me, “If you need a different perspective, stand on a chair.” Now of course he was being silly, but there was also a lesson buried there. Have you even had occasion to get on the roof of your house, and suddenly be aware of a whole different neighborhood than you see on a daily basis?

It’s not that those things aren’t there – you just don’t see them.

I like to use this example. Look out your window right now. Can you see Arizona? Can you see me? (I hope not!) But that doesn’t mean I’m not here.

What I want to stress is this: Just because you don’t see the solution doesn’t mean it’s not there.

Be careful – and aware! – of the trap that what you see and feel is “reality”. Perspective is your viewpoint -- NOT just the events themselves, but how you interpret the events.

We’ve all said “it is what it is”. But THAT’S NOT TRUE! It is what you perceive it to be. We are each viewing life through our very own personal filter. That’s why you often get a different perspective – viewpoint – attitude – solution – idea -- when you tell someone else your problem. They “see” it differently -- via THEIR filters.

The key, however, is to be consciously OPEN to these differences in viewpoint. Then you’ll be able to take advantage of “the person outside”, just as Dr. Gray’s brother was able to tell him how to push the button.

If you just say, “No, I can’t see the button, so it must not be there”, you may forever be trapped in your own trunk.

Push the button on your trunk, and let in the light.

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Top 10 �Must See� Attractions In London

Millions of visitors flock to London every year. As the nations’ capital it is a great blend of old and new, with plenty of medieval history and modern attractions all rolled into one. Whatever your interests there is something for you. But here is our top 10 list of the sites you just must not miss on a trip to London:

1. Buckingham Palace – home of the Queen of England and a great building in its own right. Don’t miss the changing of the guards at 11:30am, but do check when you get into the capital as it doesn’t always take place every day. We recommend you get there early to secure a good location.

2. The Tower of London – it doesn’t get more historical than this! Home to the Crown Jewels of England, and where Anne Boleyn, the famous wife of Henry VIII, was beheaded. Founded by William the Conqueror in 1066-7, today the Tower of London is one of the world's most famous and spectacular fortresses. In 900 years it has been a royal palace and fortress, prison and place of execution, mint, arsenal, menagerie and jewel house.

3. Tower Bridge – Often called London Bridge by those who don’t know better. This iconic bridge is recognisable anywhere in the world. Now you can take a tour around its innermost workings too.

4. The London Eye - Created by British Airways for the millennium, it is a giant Ferris wheel that gives you a 360-degree view of the city. We suggest you book in advance if possible – you can do it online. Otherwise, prepare for a very long wait.

5. The Houses of Parliament – the home of the UK’s government. Actually made up of the House of Lords and the House of Commons, Big Ben is also one of the biggest attractions with its characteristic chiming every quarter of hour. Make sure you arrive on the hour for the full effect.

6. Westminster Abbey – a short walk form the Houses of Parliament, this great building is an architectural delight. The location for Princess Diana’s funeral, and home to Isaac Newton’s tomb, the Abbey recently featured in the film “The Da Vinci Code”.

7. St. Paul's Cathedral - this historic site has been the venue of many notable events such as the wedding of Charles and Diana - the Prince and Princess of Wales. Designed by Sir Christopher Wren in 1710, we suggest you don’t miss the Whispering Gallery.

8. Trafalgar Square – Don’t miss Nelson’s Column, which celebrates England’s greatest sea-farer. Also, don’t miss the lions! You can walk across the square to the National Gallery too. Each year in December, the people of Norway send a gift of an enormous Christmas tree to Britain, which is erected in Trafalgar Square.

9. Shakespeare's Globe Theatre - this theatre is a reconstruction of the original Globe where Shakespeare's plays were first shown to the world. The Globe Theatre is a faithful reconstruction of the open-air playhouse designed in 1599. The theatre season runs from May to September with productions of the work of Shakespeare, his contemporaries and modern authors.

10. The British Museum – founded in 1753, the British Museum holds in trust for the nation and the world a collection of art and antiquities from ancient and living cultures. Housed in one of Britain's architectural landmarks, the collection is one of the finest in existence, spanning two million years of human history. Access to the collections is free.

Whatever you want to see in London we suggest you make sure you get a great hotel – take a look at The Savoy, The Hempel, the Langham, The Metropolitan and Sheraton Park Lane at http://www.greatshortbreaks.com.

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Program Booklet Template Memorial

If you need help creating funeral program booklets, The Funeral Program Site is a good resource to get help in creating and designing a funeral program booklet template. There is also a large variety funeral programs and funeral resources to assist you.

What's the Best Way to Design a Funeral or Memorial Booklet?

The family members of the deceased often like to provide the attendees with a token of memorial with the distribution of the funeral program booklet template.

A funeral booklet can contain the funeral order of service, a obituary of the deceased, funeral poems, bible scripture verses, song or hymn lyrics, photos of the deceased with family, and a special note from the bereaved family to all supporters and attendees.

It is not difficult to create funeral program booklet templates but you need the right tools before you start.

The Best Way to Create a Booklet

The most convenient way to create these precious funeral booklets is by using a funeral booklet template. This saves time if you are under a tight timeframe.

The best way to create a booklet is to look for funeral program templates that are bi-fold and letter size. By folding the paper in half, it creates a nice funeral program booklet template. Stock paper is more readily available and easier to find than any other size. Professionally design templates will provide a front, back and inside page design. To make a booklet, just duplicate the interior page as many times as you need to.

Print each page front and back and when all the pages are printed, get the pages in order and fold them in half. After its folded, place two staples in the center fold to keep the pages together.

Using funeral program booklet templates help speed along the production and will free you up to do other details of the service.

Funeral Memorial Service Program
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Download Cremation Funeral Programs
Funeral Obituary Program Design
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Are UK Secured Loans a Part Of Your Financial Portfolio?

Over time, you’ll assemble a portfolio that provides you with income opportunities (such as investments), insurance for peace-of-mind, estate and tax planning contingencies, and retirement income strategies. As part of your financial portfolio, a UK Secured loan may be the best option for you. Many people are deciding to acquire a UK Secured loan to add to their financial portfolio.

Why do people add UK Secured loans to their financial portfolio? There are several reasons why you might do so. One reason is to get control of debts that have gotten out of hand. If your spending has increased beyond your income, you may be racking up debts faster than you can pay them off. Getting a UK Secured loan is way to consolidate your debts into one monthly amount that you can handle.

Another reason that people are turning to UK Secured loans is for leverage. Perhaps they are looking to put an addition on their house but do not have the cash to readily do it. A loan can fill the gap and provide the funds necessary to put the addition on the house. That’s leverage for two reasons: your home will suddenly become so much more useful to you, but also, when it comes time to sell, you will have increased the value of your home and enhanced how sellable it is to potential buyers.

A third reason that people are turning to UK Secured loans is to get the nice things they deserve. Perhaps there is a car you’ve always wanted, or you’d like to fill your house with nice things. It would be great if your job provided you with the financial means to get them, but for many people, that’s not the case. Instead, you may have to turn to loans in order to get the items you want. It’s still an investment, though. It’s an investment in the enjoyment of your life!

While getting a UK Secured loan is simple, and there are many providers out there can get you a loan, it should not be approached lightly. Just as you probably consider very seriously all of the other factors in your financial portfolio you should also consider your UK Secured loan with equal seriousness. After all, it’s a financial tool just like your investment and insurance strategies. Is a UK Secured loan the right financial strategy for you?

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Administrative Government Agencies

Petitioning Government

Just how does one go about petitioning one of the many obscure branches of government? Agencies discussed here mostly effect our lives in administering the laws of the land, are called “The Administrative Agencies”. There are three devisions within the Administrative Agencies, first is the Regulatory Agencies which consist of:

Business Standards

Responsible for regulating safety issues of public interest of specific businesses For example, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Rate making

Regulates the price of certain goods and services, such as utilities, telephone,

transportation companies, and dairy products. For example, state public utility

Commissions, department of Food and Agriculture and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Licensing sets and maintains standards for entry into a business or occupation; many also enforce professional standards and decide disciplinary matters involving licensees. Medical boards, funeral boards, and cosmetology boards, for example, are licensing agencies. Many states have a long list of such boards. Some boards are completely independent; others fall under the jurisdiction of other state departments

Permitting agencies generally require businesses or industries to preserve the quality of the environment. They set minimum standards for construction projects, waste disposal plants, the agricultural use of pesticides, and other projects with an environmental impact. City and county planning commissions are local permitting agencies.

Social welfare and entitlement agencies oversee public benefits programs. They include social service departments, health and welfare agencies, and housing departments.

Government operations agencies keep government functioning; they involve purchasing, personnel, property management, etc.

There are some agencies classified as part of the executive branch which fall under the authority of the president, state governor, or mayor, which can also be independent groups. There are also independent agencies known as boards or commissions which are headed by multi-member groups appointed by the executive or legislative branch or by both branches together like the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. Many states also have agencies chaired by elected officials,such as insurance commissioners.

Administrative agencies expedite their missions mainly through one of four ways:

1.Rule-making,

2.Adjudication

3.Licensing and permitting,

4.Rate-making.

Some public agencies, such as school, municipal utility, emergency services and hospital boards oversee services provided directly to the community.

Private agencies and organizations

There are organizations not connected to government which can be petitioned to make changes in their procedures. These organizations are under no obligation to respond or act as you wish. But by following proper protocol you stand a good chance of moving your agenda for change forward. By using documented facts, an organized coalition of interested groups, presenting a possible solution, and media pressure will almost always get a response from the agency you focus on.

Agencies’ processes

Rule-making is the process by which agencies establish, change, or eliminate rules and regulations—the operational details of the laws passed by the legislative branch.

Rules and regulations are used to require businesses to act in a responsible manner so as to refrain them from behaving in ways that could harm the public, or to provide government services in an efficient and equitable manner. As example would be to restrict the amounts and types of chemicals farmers can use, or prevent the sale of unsafe or unreliable drugs and medical devices.

Agencies also establish rules and regulations to require responsible, positive behavior, like testing drugs and medical devices before they are made available to the public. Many rules and regulations are set by the agency, profession, trade, or populace who are being regulated or affected by the particular agency. One note of importance is to remember, that you or any citizen may propose a new regulation, or propose change or the elimination of an existing regulation. Simply by following protocol you can exercise your right to petition local, state, or federal agencies, if you feel a change needs to be made.

Before any proposed rule can be adopted, agency officials must notify the effected public and provide an opportunity for people to comment or protest.

Most usually regulations are formally adopted when approved by the head of an agency or members of its board of directors. The new ruling usually becomes effective 30 days after the approval. I

Adjudication

The process by which an agency may determine whether a person or organization has violated a rule or a law and, if so, what disciplinary action should be taken. Some agencies have the authority to issue cease-and-desist orders, to impose fines, or to revoke, suspend, or modify licenses or permits or operation. Usually, such proceedings are held as hearings similar to court procedures and decisions.

You or any citizen can ask an agency to enforce a rule or a law. Requests for enforcement can be an effective tool to hold industry or business accountable for their actions.

Licensing and permitting

The process by which an agency grants a business or individual permission to engage in a particular occupation, operate in a certain manner, or do business in a certain jurisdiction. Agencies are often required to post public notices of an application for a license or permit and to provide for public comment. Citizens participation in the process can effectively shape the activity of a licensed business or require some public benefit in return for granting a license or permit

Rate-making

The process by which an administrative body determines the rate companies can charge for public utilities or certain goods and services, such as gas and electricity, cable and telephone services, and transportation. If proper procedures are followed, the public may participate in rate-making proceedings.

If a citizen believes the agency’s procedures are not fair, or if they have not given the public a reasonable chance to make their case, they can be petitioned by any citizen to change, eliminate, or add to their procedures.

It is the right and duty of each citizen to be observant and responsible in holding government agencies accountable for their actions.

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Stay at Home Moms and Dads; Let's Make Money from Home!

I am always advised by some of my friends and relatives that I'd better to find a job and spend some time out of home. I really don't know why they advise me to do that while they are not happy with their jobs, getting up early morning everyday, taking the kids to daycare or leaving them with the babysitter and ... . The worst part of their life is the money they make with their full time jobs. The luckiest one can have 10 bucks per hour after paying tax. They also have to pay for gas and other expenses that their cars have every month.

So what advantages does working out of home have for them? Why do they encourage me to do something that they are not happy with it? The advice I always give them is much better. I advise them to stay at home and let their kids grow under their nose. They don't know how pleasant it is when you see your baby takes his first step or says his first word. Most of them are used to hear these news from their babysitters.

You may be a mom or dad with the same issues and problems with your full time job. I don't want to ask you to quit your full time job right away, stay at home and think about working from home. I always try to teach people on my weblog and articles to be broad-minded and not to make any limitation for themselves. They can use their extra time they will have when their kids are slept or at the weekend to find some extra streams of income. Even if you don't need to make any more money and you are happy with your current income but sooner or later you will need some more money. Your children will grow up and there will be many new things that you will have to provide for them. So it does worth if you spend some of the time you are used to spend to take nap or watching TV on finding good ways to create some new streams of income.

But how to get started?

1- First of all please keep in your mind that I do not want to tell you that you will become rich by working from home in a few weeks or even months. In fact you have to avoid all the get rich quick programs. I emphasized on this because I know as soon as people decide to try a working at home business, they turn on their computers, look for a easy work at home job that fits stay at home mothers or dads. It is the time that they can be cheated by scammers. So this is the first thing that you have to take into consideration if you want to work at home and make some extra money.

2- You need to get organized for spending some time on this business every week. This is like other businesses. Only serious and organized people can succeed. If you are a person who starts several businesses and becomes interested in different things but gives up at the first steps or if you become interested in different things just because one of your friends or relatives calls you and talk about it for a few minutes and then you lose your interest even before trying, just because one of your other friends calls you and says she doesn't like it because of this and that, then you have to change yourself before you start a work at home business and become a stay at home mom (or dad).

I have been working from home online for many years. I could achieve to refer 22,000 people to one of the legitimate work at home programs and teach them everything that I knew but only few of them could make money. Not that it was hard to do. It was not hard because I could do it and a lot of other people could do it before me. Just because they were not serious and organized. They had not made a serious decision. This is the most important step. If you decide seriously and then take action and don't give up, you will be able to become a successful stay at home mom who not only enjoys being with her family and children - and of course her children enjoy her presence at home - but can make reasonable amount of money.

3- Improve some of your computer skills. You don't have to be a rocket scientists to work at home but you need to know the basics of computer and internet. When you want to work online and through the internet, you will be dealing with these terms very frequently:

- website
- weblog
- web directory
- email
- link
- search engine
- search engine optimization
- electronic newsletter or ezine
- autoresponder
- forums or discussion boards
- internet marketing
- advertising
- email advertising
- banner and banner advertising
- pay per click advertising and pay per click search engines (PPC)
- joint venture
- link exchange
- domain registration
- web hosting
- auction websites; e.g. eBay

Do not scare if you have not heard about some of the above terms. They are very easy. Soon you will know that working from home and through the internet is much easier than what you thought.

Just open one of the main search engines like Google and enter any of the above terms that you are not familiar with. You don't have to learn in detail. Just the basics is enough for getting started.

4- After improving your knowledge, decide what you want to do to make money. There are zillions of ways to make money from home by using your computer. You will have main options:

- Sell your own products or services
- Sell others' products or services

Don't think that you have to have a factory for having a product which can be sold through the internet. Your product can be very simple things from candle, wooden cross and ... to your articles, cookie recipes and e-books.

It is also as easy as 1, 2, 3 to promote others products and earn commissions. There are thousands of affiliate programs that you can join and become able to promote thousands of different products. Some affiliate programs pay as much as 75% commission to the affiliates.

Good Luck!

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Copyright 2006 Judy Taylor. She is a stay at home mom who has been working from home since 2001. Visit her new weblog: Stay at home mom.

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The Cut Flowers, Tips And Tricks For Them To Resist More

Rose

The roses are charming, but very sophisticated and pretentious flowers too. There are some tricks to prolong the rose’s life:

· It would be good, if it’s any possibility, to be conserved in a cold place, even the fridge, but not near the other products, for a few hours, after bought them.

· Cut the stem at a very sharp angle under the water and than let the water to flow over the stems for 3 minutes.

· Soften the base of the stem into mint oil before put in the vase.

· Add some lemon drops into flower’s water or a little salt.

· Introduce the roses till flower in a tall and full of water vase than leave them in a dark cold place even for 24 hours.

· For bacteria to be destroyed, add a drop of disinfecting substance in flowers water.

· The roses need to stay in tall vases, filled with warm water.

· You have to change the water daily.

Tulip

The tulip’s availability, as a cut flower, is from 8 to 10 days. The tulip doesn’t bear the water privation and the warmth. For a better hydration, you need to cut the white base of the stem under the water and put it in a cold, without draught space, into cold and fresh water. To maintain the water’s freshness and the flower’s natural colors, attach some small branches of Tuia. You can also put a metal coin. To avoid the tulip’s declension, you have to fill the vase with water or to wrap the flower into a paper, because the stem will turn towards the light.

Lily

The punks of the lily have their different opening phase, that the flower lives in water more than 1, maybe 2 weeks. For a long availability, you got to avert the full-blown flower’s stamens, before the pollen will spot the petals, fading them. To prolong the lily’s life, add in the water a spoon of white vinegar (it applies to the gladioluses, anemones too).

Chrysanthemum

The chrysanthemum is one of the most resistant cut flower and it will decorate your house for a long time, more than 2 weeks. By hybridization, the chrysanthemum has a several numbers of petals, multiple colors, forms and sizes. For the best hydration, you’ll smash or cut the stem at a very sharp angle, eliminate the base leafs of the stem. A bouquet of chrysanthemum flowers has to be disposed in a large vase, so the flowers will not be crowded. You need to change frequently the water in the vase and powder the flowers with water, because the chrysanthemum loves the humidity.

Orchid

The orchids will decorate your place for 1 or 2 weeks, maybe more, if you offer them the best conditions. It’s important for you to know that the orchid, being an exotic flower, prefer a 26 degrees temperature. After gathering, the flowers have to be left in a cold space (10-15 degrees) for a couple of hours. Than put them in capacious vases. To refresh the orchids you’ll cut the stem and than put it in a boiled water, so the flowers will resist more. Keep them away from the draught, smoking or hot vapors (this is also a practice for the anthurium cut flower).

Daffodil

The daffodil cut flowers can resist from 4 to 8 days, if they are carefully attended. Their stems excrete a viscous substance which is speeding up the blight process. Therefore you’ll follow this practice: cut the stem at a very sharp angle 2 inches below the end, than pass it through the fire or leave it for a while in warm water, for the pest substance to be eliminated. You can use a combination of vinegar and salt to clean the daffodil’s vase.

Carnation

The carnation is a very resistant flower and is usually used in the arrangements that have no water supply. Some cultures consider the carnation a funeral flower, maybe for its resistance. It’s important for it to be cut between the stem nodules for the best hydration. The carnations love the fresh water and the sweetmeat, thus put some sugar in the water. You can also add some lemon drops.

Daisy

It’s very alike the chrysanthemum, therefore the scientific name is Chrysanthemum leucantheum. Daisy is a resistant cut flower, though it’s fragility. As the best care, cut the stem till the green part, put it in tall vase, filled just for 3 quarts with water and add a drop of whitening substance.

Anemone

Depend of the type of flower, the anemone will resist between 5 and 8 days, maybe more, if it’s well attended. The stem has to be cut at a sharp angle. This flower prefer the cold water and the cold spaces, that you can get them into the fridge, for 1-2 hours, in a separated compartment, before their placement in water. Just like the anemones, the flowers with a fragile stem (freesia, for example), have to be doused till the flower.

Lily-of-the-valley

This flower will not resist more than 4-5 days since the gather and that so under a good care. You have to put it in fresh and not very cold water as soon as you can.

Crocus

The crocus’s cut flower doesn’t resist much time, just 3-4 days. As a bulb root flower, like the tulip, iris, daffodil etc, it loves the cold water, changed every day. The warm water speeds up the flourish. Is good that the white area from the stem’s base to be cut, because only the green part will absorb the water. You’ll get the crocus in small vases filled at 3 quarter with water.

Iris

Being tall, the iris cut flowers will be disposed in big vases filled a half with water. They love the cold fresh water, so change it ones at 2 days.

Dahlia

The availability of the dahlia is about 6 to 10 days. To maintain fresh the dahlia you have to follow those instructions: introduce the base of the stem in boiled water and keep them there till the water cooling or till the base becomes black; than you’ll cut the boiled side and finally put them into cold water.

Lilac

Though it’s a shrub, lilac is one of the most popular spring flower. To keep them long, you have to avert the leafs and smash the base of the stem, for a better hydration, than introduce it in boiled water. Don’t you forget that the lilac love the warm water and the sunlight. As a trick, you can put a little of sugar in the water.

Peony

The peony will be as fresh as the beginning into the vase from 7 to 10 days. The cut flowers are conserved in a cold place for 24 hours without water and thereafter you’ll cut 1 centimeter from the stem and put them in vases filled of warm water.

Gerbera

The gerberas, as well as the tulip, usually inflect their stem. There are some simple tricks for not to happen: prick the stem just under the flower, to get out the air deterrent the flower hydration or fill of water the empty stem and keep it with the flower turned downward overnight.

Poppy

It’s a not resistant flower. Although it’s a wild flower, the poppy is a fragile one, but loved for its full of passion color. As well as daffodil, the poppy’s stem excretes a pernicious substance that has to be eliminated. You could pass the stem through the fire or leave it in boiled water for 30 seconds, after you cut the stem 2 inches below the end.

Sunflower

This is a long life flower. As a cut flower, it last 6-12 days, but it’s a wonderful dry flower. There is a trick to avoid the blight: add in flower’s water 2% of liquid detergent.

You can also view:
more: http://www.flowersgrowing.com

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The Bully Without a Face - Cyberbullying

Words can have powerful meanings to people. For example, if I mention the word alcoholic, most people conjure up a middle aged to older adult, sitting on a park bench, clothes disheveled and drinking out of a paper bag. If I mention the word bully, most people conjure up a middle school to high school student, of larger appearance, twisting other kids arms and stealing their lunch money.

This is a notion of the past. With today's technology, anyone can be a bully. It can be the 13-year-old cheerleader, the 15-year-old football player, the 17-year-old Valedictorian of the school, or it could be the boy or girl next door, who has never been in any trouble. With technology and the Internet today, there is a more treacherous and feared bully, the cyber bully.

The cyber bully will send someone cruel, mean, threatening and unrelenting messages to their target victim. They can spread rumors about the other person on the Internet, that others are gay, have STD's, are sexually promiscuous, etc. They can take another's picture in the locker room while getting dressed for gym and place it on the Internet. Cell phones now usually have the capability to take pictures, so this has become a more widely used tactic in harming others. Tricking a person into believing that you are their friend and then taking sensitive information and distributing it to others. The list of cruel things that can be done goes on. Kids are even receiving threats in text messages on their cell phones.

The old saying used to be "sticks and stones can break my bones, but names will never hurt me". Unfortunately words are extremely powerful and have brought some children and adolescents to commit suicide, due to being ridiculed, made fun of and basically mentally tortured.

What can you do? There are lots of tips on how to help prevent or stop cyber bullying. You should keep the computer in a public area in the home, where others can see what is going on online. Talk to your child about never revealing private information such as their phone number or address, or other private information about himself or herself that can be used against them. Understand the websites that they are going to and be able to identify their friends that they are sending chats or Instant Messages to. Talk to your kids about telling an adult if they are being bullied. Discuss cyber bullying and how to keep safe on the Internet. Lastly, teach your child to tell the cyber bully to stop. If your child is being threatened or has vicious letters, pictures or any other form of cyber bullying about them online, first you need to save the evidence. You can find the ISP of the cyber bully, from your Internet provider. If the cyber bully is in the same school, you can contact the school to have a meeting with the cyber bully and their parents. Most school districts are now adopting policies regarding cyber bullying as this has become a very wide spread problem. One third of all teenagers are victims of cyber bullying. If the cyber bully attends another school, you can contact their parents and provide evidence of what their child is doing online. You can either meet with their parents or send them mail regarding their Childs' online activity.

There are some forms of cyber bullying that need more than face-to-face contact with parents and the need to have law enforcement involved. If your child is being sexually exploited online, threatened with physical violence, a victim of a sexual predator, or a hate crime. Contact the police immediately and have them investigate your case. Some parents have utilized monitoring software to understand what their child is doing online. This is one extra way to help protect your children.

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A Bag of Gold or the Golden Goose

Which do You Want from Your Party Plan Company?

Is your dream to quit your job and stay home with the children or to provide extras for your family? Are you a stay at home mom who would like to do something for yourself? Perhaps you are looking for a career with flexibility? Then it is time to look at party plan companies.

When searching for the company that gives you the perfect fit, look for the golden goose instead of the bag of gold. Remember Jack and the Beanstalk? In this fairy tale Jack traded the family cow, which had quit giving milk, for a bag of magic beans. His mother, deeming that the beans were worthless, threw them out the window. When Jack awakened the next morning, a huge beanstalk had grown to the top of the sky. Jack raced up, curious to see what was at the top. Jack ends up stealing a bag of gold from the ogre and his wife who lived in a mansion at the top of the sky. The gold provided for Jack and his mother for quite some time, but it eventually ran out. Jack climbed up the beanstalk again. This time he stole a goose that laid golden eggs on command. The next time Jack climbed the beanstalk it wasn’t because he was broke.

Kimberly built a business with a ‘bag of gold’ party plan company. She shows her wares, takes orders, and delivers them to the hostess. She isn’t likely to see her customer again unless she hosts a party or shows up at a party that someone else is hosting. She is successful in her sales and has steady income as long as she steadily works.

Stefanie has found the goose that lays the golden egg. She sells home air freshening products. Her golden eggs are the reorders she gets for additional fragrance. She has found that she makes almost four times more on the reorders than she does the original party orders in one year’s time.

There is no trick to this other than her own organization. She hands out catalogs regularly. Each guest at her parties, whether they order or not, is given her business card with the website of her company and her advisor number on it. She is making money day and night whenever her customers go to the website, enter her number, and place their orders.

As they begin the party, each of Stefanie’s guests fills out an entry for a drawing. These forms are her source for further contact. She enters each email address into her computer’s address book. At the end of the month she sends a mass email that contains a short message from her and lists the next month’s specials. The customer can click on a link and be taken to her replicated website where they place their order. For the small cost the company charges, the replicated website brings her large returns.

For those customers who don’t use the computer or whom she hasn’t heard from for a time, Stefanie uses phone calls. When she began her business, it was part of her plan to spend a certain number of hours a week working it. She decided then that her time with family is valuable and wouldn’t be traded for finacial reward. But, she also realized that the financial reward helps determine what her family can do during family time. There was a way she could have the financial benefits without compromising the time with her husband and children. She hired a high school girl at a low hourly wage to make the calls. More often than not, when she tells them why she is calling, she is greeted with an “Oh, I was just thinking I needed to call.”

Stefanie’s sales are consistent year round, not because her phone is ringing off the hook. She is the one that takes the initiative to incorporate the programs that her “golden goose” company provides for her. Like the goose that would lay golden eggs on command, Stefanie’s customers buy when they are greeted in an email or phone call, “Hi, this is Stefanie. Just calling to let you know the specials this month are….” Now that is a golden egg!

Written by Deborah J Merrill
Co-founder of Cierra Ashley-Fragrance for Life

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Protect Yourself & Prevent MRSA with a Cleaner Disinfectant

MRSA can be Deadly

The Centers for Disease Control has done a national campaign to teach parents how to keep their children, and others, safe from skin infections caused by the potentially dangerous bacteria called MRSA.

MRSA, a type of staph bacteria that is resistant to certain antibiotics, has been in the news because it can cause severe infections in health care settings, such as hospitals and nursing homes. It can also cause severe skin infections in otherwise healthy people. MRSA is spread by having direct contact with another person's infection, or by touching surfaces that have been contaminated with MRSA. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends use of an effective cleaner disinfectant to fight MRSA along with other precautions.

Fight MRSA with a Cleaner Disinfectant

Use an effective cleaner disinfectant to protect yourself from MRSA and other deadly germs. To learn how to fight MRSA, visit sanibulb.com for a simple bright idea. They’ve made fighting infectious diseases as easy as changing your light bulb. Simply switch to SaniBulb™ Sanitizer to provide quality lighting and kill airborne MRSA without toxic chemicals. SaniBulb™ uses advanced nano technology and light to destroy lethal germs. SaniBulb™ also purifies and deodorizes air while reducing energy costs and improving your indoor air quality. SaniBulb™ is the new EcoSmart, EnergySmart and HealthSmart Cleaner Disinfectant Solution

Cleaner Disinfectant Applications for MRSA

An effective Air Cleaner, Air Purifier and Air Sanitizer such as SaniBulb™ can be used in many of the following consumer and commercial applications to sanitize lethal airborne MRSA bacteria by simply changing your light bulbs:

Consumer: Homes, boats, RVs, basements, garages, closets, pet areas…

Medical: Hospitals, nursing homes, medical offices, morgues, Funeral Homes…

Hospitality: Hotels, motels, resorts, cruise ships, restaurants, bars, spas…

Retail: Pet stores, salons, supermarkets, bathrooms…

Educational: Schools, universities, colleges, dorms…

Commercial: Offices, gyms, day cares, labs, drycleaners, warehouses, manufacturing

MRSA Disinfection has Numerous Health Benefits

Using high quality sanitizers in your home and workplace on a daily basis will keep you safer and healthier in the fight against MRSA. This will improve your indoor air quality, help prevent the spread of MRSA and enhance your wellness.