Halloween Party Games for Kids

Good Morning,
What are you doing for Halloween? We still don't have a clue, especially since Halloween has fallen on a Saturday this year. I am still searching for what is going on around our little city here. Whatever you decide, make it a safe and Happy Halloween and even if you don't celebrate Halloween, it is always a great time of year to celebrate all the colors of Fall/Autumn---Fall Harvest. Make it Memorable;-).

~Mandu
Aspiring WAHM, Wife and Blogger
****************************************



Halloween Party Games for Kids
Posted in: Halloween By Jan K., The Proofer
Sep 27, 2008 - 5:55:35 PM

Halloween Party Games
Costume parties are beginning to take the place of traditional Trick-or-Treating, and are a safe and fun way for kids to dress up in costumes, have a lot of fun, and get plenty of candy! Put a Halloween twist on the usual children's party games! Play "Pin the Hat on the Witch" and "Spooky Musical Chairs" at your Halloween Party!
Pin the Hat on the Witch
You'll need:
•Witch Decoration (the "jointed" type that allows you to position the arms and legs; you can usually buy this at Target, Wal-Mart, Walgreens, or a party supplies store) •Roll of white or brown kraft paper (or a couple of paper grocery bags) •Masking tape •Black construction paper, scissors •Black bandana or black mask with eyeholes covered to use as blindfold •Halloween-related party favors or little Halloween snack bags of candy •Get free illustrated craft instructions: (http://www.jansreadingroom.com/Halloween/Make-Pin-Hat-On-Witch-Game.htm) Do ahead of time:
•Carefully cut off the hat portion of the Witch Decoration (see illustrated instructions), and set aside the witch. •Using the hat, trace onto black construction paper (see illustrated instructions) •Cut out hat (see illustrated instructions) •Repeat to make enough hats for the number of children who will be attending the party •Use gold or silver glitter glue to write each child's name on the hat (see illustrated instructions) •Day of the party: •Prior to the party, decide what wall or door you will use to tack up the witch for the Pin the Hat on the Witch game •Tack up white or brown kraft paper to protect the wall or door •Tack up the hatless with decoration, at the approximate height of your son or daughter (see illustrated instructions) Game time:
•Make donuts of masking tape and put on top and bottom of the back of the black hats (see illustrated instructions) •Hand out hats to children •Blindfold the first child, spin child around until he/she is facing the witch (about 4 steps away from the wall or door) •Pointing child in the right direction, have child walk toward the wall, and put hat onto the wall, pressing down to adhere tape (you might need to help) •Unblindfold the child •Blindfold each child, in turn, spin, and have him/her paste hat to the wall •Closest hat to witch's head wins the game (but you might want to reward all the children with a party favor) Be creative! Instead of Pin the Hat on the Witch, you could play "Paste the Face on the Pumpkin" or "Put the Skull on the Skeleton" by adapting those characters to the traditional Pin the Tail on the Donkey game.

Spooky Musical Chairs
You'll need:
•kitchen or folding chairs, one for each child minus one (that is, if 10 children are attending the party, you will need 9 chairs) •a cassette tape or CD of spooky Halloween sounds/music (you can usually find these types of CDs at Walgreens, party supplies stores, Wal-Mart, Target, etc.) Game time:
•Arrange chairs so that they are back to back, in a row •Have children form a circle around or line up on one side of the chairs (depending on how many children are playing) •If you have more than two more children than you have chairs (that is, 10 children are attending the party, and you only have 6 chairs), then play two games •Instruct the children that when the music starts they are to walk in a circle around the chairs and when the music stops, they are to sit down on a chair •The child left standing leaves the game •Take away a chair •Repeat until there are two children left and only one chair •The last child sitting on a chair wins the game (but you might want to reward all the children with a party favor) Instead of using chairs, and if you are playing the game on an enclosed patio or in the backyard, you can use the garbage bags that look like pumpkins filled with leaves to create "chairs" for the game. The kids will have fun flopping down on the bags!
Competition games that leave one person as "the winner" are healthy and teach kids how to play fair and how to "lose." However, to avoid tears and tantrums, you can play the games several times in order to have several winners. Also, be sure to have enough party favors and little treat bags so that all the children get a prize and a bag of candy after each game.

Jan K., The Proofer is a freelance copyeditor and proofreader. Visit Jan’s Portal (http://www.jansportal.com) for more information about Jan's free crafts, recipes, tutorials, other resource sites, and free content articles, as well as Jan’s freelance proofreading business services. Be sure to visit Mom's Break (http://www.momsbreak.com) for free printable crafts and projects. © Copyright 2005 to present. All rights reserved.

Kids Halloween Recipes Kids Will Love!

Halloween Party Recipes Kids Will Love



Throw some candy corn into a dish and set out a bowl of apples and you're all set for a Halloween party. Right? It could be that easy, but why not add some creativity this Halloween with the following fun kids Halloween recipes.

Halloween parties are a great excuse to be creative and make some scary but tasty treats. There will be plenty of candy floating around; so you can balance things a bit with some healthy snacks.

Kids young and old get a kick out of eating Eyeballs. Slice some cherry tomatoes, followed by a dollop of cream cheese and top with a sliced black olive for a delicious one eyed snack!


How about making Brain Dip?

Mix:
3 cups low-fat yogurt
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup peach jam
1 tbsp. orange juice
1/2 tsp. to 1 tbsp. mild curry powder
1/2 tsp. white pepper

Serve with raw vegetables or crackers.

Of course you'll need some Bug Juice to wash down your ghoulish munchies.

Mix:
2 10-oz. pkgs. frozen strawberries, defrosted
1 6-oz. can lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 quart ginger ale
2 cups raisins
6 gummy worms

1. Mix the strawberries and lemonade concentrate in a blender until smooth and thick.

2. Gradually add ginger ale.

3. Transfer the beverage to a punch bowl. Stir in any remaining ginger ale and the raisins. Place the gummy worms on the rim of the bowl for a swampy effect. Makes 10 creepy servings.

Some may like the gummy worms, but how many will ask for more Worms on a Bun?

You'll need: Hot dogs, Hamburger buns and some Ketchup.
Cut the hot dogs into thin slices and score the edges (about three cuts per slice). Boil or microwave until the slices curl like wiggly worms. Serve three or four worms to a bun. For an extra-icky touch, add a few squiggles of ketchup. Ewwww!

If that's not gory enough for you then make some Creepy Witches' Fingers. This recipe for these creepy cookies makes approximately 60 fingers!

1 cup softened butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp Almond extract
1 tsp Vanilla
2 2/3 cups wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup almonds, whole blanched
1 Tube red decorator gel

Cream together butter, sugar, egg, almond extract and vanilla. Mix in sifted flour, baking soda, and salt. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes. Working with one quarter of the dough at a time and keeping remainder refrigerated, roll heaping teaspoonful of dough into finger shape for each cookie. Press almond firmly into 1 end for nail. Squeeze in the center of the finger to create knuckle shape; you can also puff it out rather than squeeze it in for the knuckle effect. Using paring knife, make slashes in several places to form knuckle. Use your own hand as a guide.

Place on lightly greased baking sheets; bake in 325* oven for 20-25 minutes or until pale golden. Let cool for 3 minutes. Lift up almond; squeeze red decorator gel onto nail bed and press almond back in place, so gel oozes out from underneath. You can also make slashes in the finger and fill them with "blood." Now that's gross!

For kids Halloween Parties it seems the more disgusting the better! Use your imagination and have fun with these kids Halloween recipes.

For more recipes your kids are sure to enjoy, try http://www.kidapprovedmeals.com

Healthy Additions for Brown Bag Lunches

Good Morning,
I don't know about you, but we have always made our daughter's lunch for school because we honestly didn't like what was being served at school. Of course it may be nutritious, but it all looked like fast food. So for those of us that are still making our kids' lunches know that it isn't so bad, you just have to be creative, as well as know exactly what your kids like. Enjoy this article by Cara Mirabella of The HouseHold Helper, who has a few suggestions about bringing some livelihood to that brown bag lunch;).

Sincerely,
~Mandu
Aspiring WAHM, Wife and Blogger
http://www.emdiau.com
*******************************************************

The best thing about a brown bag lunch is that you create it yourself. Whatever you want to add can be thrown in the brown bag each day. For those who are trying to stay healthy, adding a few extra things to their lunch bag is a necessity.

Brown bag lunches of the past almost always contained a fruit. Moms dropped a shiny red apple or a blemish free orange in the bag. Remember how it used to crush the sandwich in the middle every time? Fruit is now, just as it was then, an essential part of a brown bag lunch. The best part is that now it can be packed without flattening the main course sandwich!

One way to keep from denting your delectable sandwich is to slice the fruit. Apples do turn brown fast so douse them in some lemon juice after you cut the apple to stop the browning process. Kids may look at those apple pieces with a funny expression if they open the container and see brown spots. The chances of them actually eating them decrease so keep them looking good and you’re kids are more likely to gobble them up. Oranges don’t turn colors but choosing seedless varieties lessens the chance of swallowing a seed and possibly choking.

Other good fruits are raisins, dates, prunes, and dried fruits. Dried fruits are sweeter because the drying process concentrates the natural sugars. Kids will think you added something special and they are getting away with something eating that overly sweet fruit. This will probably get them to eat more of the healthy stuff which is great for you. They don’t have to know you didn’t sweeten their fruit with unnecessary sugar in order to get them to eat it so you’re secret is safe.

Instead of chips, try some pretzels. Hard pretzels aren’t just the dark brown twists with salt on top. Pretzels come in sticks, small twists, little nuggets, and a variety of flavors like honey mustard, honey, and cheddar. Even Pringles created a thin crispy pretzel stick that makes an easy to munch snack.

Nuts have always been ostracized because of their fat content. But, as we all know, all fats are not equal and the fat in nuts is good for you. Almonds are good to eat but many people prefer peanuts or pecans. The fat content is higher in those two types of nut, but you don’t have to eat an entire container. Fill a bag with a serving or two of nuts and eat them as a snack before or after lunch.

Pudding and applesauce are also a great addition to a brown bag lunch. They can be purchased in pre-packaged portions from the store. These types of snacks provide a sweet treat in specific proportions. You can find these goodies in sugar free forms as well to add to the healthy factor. Jell-O also comes in these types of single serving containers which sure makes it more appealing than the jiggly stuff we used to get in school.

Who says that healthy additions can’t be fun or tasty? Once healthy brown bag lunch foods tasted like cardboard; they now have flavors that kids and adults both enjoy.

Be a Great Mom!

A Mother’s Work is Never Done
and That’s Just Fine with Her Ask any mom how becoming a mother feels
and she’ll tell you it is the greatest experience of her life. Nothing
can top motherhood! Ask her again after a few months of little to no
sleep, when her 2 year old has ransacked the entire house or her
teenager has just started driving. She may give you an overwhelmed look
and let out a heavy sigh, but her reply will remain the same. She
wouldn’t trade the title Mom for the world, even on her child’s worst
day. Just take a look at some of these real-life examples to see what
we mean.

One mom of two, ages 4 and 5, had this to say when asked what she finds
the hardest, yet most rewarding part of being a mom.
“I find disciplining them really hard. Sometimes you just want to give
in and make peace, but when you hold out, they really start to get it
and become better people.

I also love answering their questions, but find them challenging at
times. They ask me what certain words mean or why something is a
certain way. Often, they're asking about things no 4 or 5 year old
should be concerned with. Not that they're taboo things or anything,
just complex things that are tough to explain.”

Here’s what another mom of 2, ages 9 and 1, feels makes it all
worthwhile. “The other day my 21 month old was testing every thing with
Mom. Getting into things he knew he shouldn't be, throwing tantrums and
refusing to take his nap. You name it he was trying his hardest to see
how far he could get with me. Needless to say, no work got done that
day, the house was a disaster and this mama needed a break! I was
almost ready to give up and say "Oh go ahead and tear all the DVDs off
the shelf and have fun! Then, he came running up to me with the biggest
smile on his face and his arms outstretched and gave me a big hug,
patted my back and puckered his lips for a kiss! My heart melted, I
smiled back, gave him a kiss and told him I loved him while all the
stress and built up frustration of the day melted away!”

Being a mother is the toughest job any woman will ever have, but it
also takes top honors as the most satisfying. There is nothing else in
life that can make a woman ready to pull her hair out and scream, while
evoking an extreme feeling of love at the exact same moment in time.
Moms invest so much in their children, most of which goes unnoticed
until they are older. She gets tired, but never gives up because she
knows the rewards for her perseverance will be awesome.

A mother’s work is never complete. Even when her children are grown and
have children of their own she wouldn’t want it any other way. Find
family friendly product reviews, information and support from a variety
of different moms from all walks of life at Moms
Talk News. Join us, it’s Free!

Guide to Stopping Bedwetting

Seven Tips to Help Stop Your Child's Bedwetting

Bedwetting (also known as enuresis) is usually caused by an underdeveloped urinary system causing the release of urine during the night when the child is in a deep sleep. This issue is a lot more common than most parents realize. That fact doesn’t make it any less frustrating for the parent or less embarrassing for the child.

It’s frustrating for the parent because they have to change wet sheets in the middle of the night on a fairly regular basis, oftentimes nightly. It’s embarrassing for the child, often preventing them from wanting to spend the night at friend’s houses or go for birthday sleepovers.

One of the most important things you want to do about your child’s bedwetting is make sure you don’t get upset with them over it. It’s not their fault. Do not punish them! Because the child will more than likely already be feeling self-conscious, embarrassed about it you need to help reassure them that they aren’t alone and there is nothing wrong with them.

Here are 7 tips to use to help your child’s bedwetting problems:

*Limit the amount of liquids in the evening. Have them drink the majority of their liquids during the morning/day.

*Limit caffeine. Again, especially in the evenings.

*Make sure that your child goes to the bathroom before bed.

*Set an alarm to get up in the middle of the night & take your child to the bathroom.

*Reward chart. This will help encourage your child to keep trying. Place a sticker on the chart for every dry night.

*Bed wetting alarms. These are placed under the child and go off at the first sign off wetness.

*Pull-ups can be used for younger children.

To get some more information on your child’s bedwetting and tips to help stop it be sure to pick up your copy of the Mom’s Talk eBook’s Guide to Stopping Your Child’s Bedwetting.

Scrambled Brains

Fall Twice Baked Potatoes (or aka scrambled brains)

Ingredients:

3 medium sweet potatoes
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
1/2 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

Instructions:

Stab your scrubbed, clean potatoes with a fork and toss them in the oven to bake at 400 degrees F until soft. Usually this takes about an hour depending on size. Let them cool off until you're able to handle them without burning your hands. In a skillet heat olive oil over medium heat, add shallots and cook those until softened and just slightly browned. This takes about 10 minutes on average. Cut the cooled off sweet potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out most of the potato pulp leaving a nice boat like shell for you to fill. Blend the pulp, with a mixer, in a blender, in a food processor, with a hand masher, however you wish to scramble your brains is perfectly acceptable. Once they start to get smooth blend in the ricotta cheese, salt, pepper, ginger and sugar and continue until very smooth. Lightly stir in shallots, parmesan cheese and sage. Scoop into the boat like shells you made earlier. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes until heated through and lightly browned across the top.

Simplify Things This Holiday Season

Don't let the hustle and bustle of the Holiday season get you down or worse yet stressed out about how you will pay for it all. I have something that will make this holiday season one to remember where you had fun, didn't go into debt and was able to actually enjoy your holiday;-). I am talking about The Holiday Entertaining Guide. Don't be stressed out this Holiday season!

Great Pumpkin Pull Apart Cake

It's the Great Pumpkin.... Pull Apart Cake!

Are you ready for your Charlie Brown Halloween special!?!

Ingredients:

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
3 eggs
1 cup white sugar
4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

Instructions:

Get out that big ole' mixing bowl and combine pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar and spice. Pour into your greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
Sprinkle the dry cake mix over top of the mixture. Sprinkle, don't stir. Drizzle melted butter over it all and top it off with a handful or two of chopped walnuts. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees F or until toothpick comes out of center clean. Best served, during "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown.” with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.

Halloween is around the corner? What are you going to be?

Issue 16, Vol. 2 October 15th, 2009

Good Morning,
Can you believe that Halloween is two weeks away? We usually don't pick out our costumes until the week before because prices are lower and we have to get a little more creative with what we are left with. But overall, it is so much fun. Be creative with your costumes this year and even if you don't celebrate Halloween, there are always harvest parties, which is what my daughter's second grade class will be celebrating this year. Above all be safe and have fun this holiday season. It has only just begun...Check Out this Fun Halloween Game.

Have Fun!

Sincerely,
Mandu
Aspiring WAHM, Wife and Blogger
****************************************************

Topic of the Month


FALL IS UPON US! What do you think of when you think of Fall weather? The Holidays? The Food? If you will be able to spend time with family out of state? Whatever Fall weather does to your spirit, I am going to incorporate the different aspects of Fall in this October newsletter, such as cooking,weekly planning, business related activities, crafts, stress busters and always a little inspiration to keep your head as stress free as posisible in the midst of the chaos as well.  Enjoy!




Article of the Month
All you moms and or dads out there, how do you keep it all together in the midst of stress in the everyday that we call life. I wanted to share an awesome report with you of how to keep yourself sane and provide some stress relievers as well. You Deserve a Break Report!


Holiday Stress Busters From a Mom


What It Takes to Be less stressful Year after Year


S-T-R-E-S-S. Everyone has some in whatever form from the time you get up in the morning until you lay your head down at night, it is there peaking it's ugly head. But there are ways to combat it. Here are a few that I live by:

1. Exercise-Gets those good endorphins going and makes you feel good all over because you are moving your body and getting that blood pumping.

2. Listening to soft music like soft rock or jazz, can really calm the nerves and relax your mind.

3. Reading a Book, whatever book you enjoy reading it can take your mind off whatever is eating at you, if only for a moment. By the time you are done reading a chapter whatever may have been eating you at the beginning of the chapter, will be a distant memory.

4. Cooking. I know you are probably thinking how on earth can this relieve stress, for me it does because it keeps my hands moving and paying attention to what ingredients need to be put together to make whatever it is I am making and getting to the end result. Tasting;-). So I guess it is an endorphin of the senses, like smells and action of preparing a meal for my family. Keeps my mind and hands busy with the task at hand.

5. Prayer. I pray and meditate lots to keep myself balanced and thankful for the little things in my life. We live in such a chaotic world and to have a spiritual base keeps me sane. Being prayerful also keeps me from being too judgemental of others around me. We are who we are and whatever enviroment we were raised in, it shows in action and words.

These are what I live by day to day, especially during the most stressful times of the year and on other days. I am sure there may be other points that make your life less stressed, but whatever you do to keep stress at bay DO IT! You deserve a stress buster, so don't feel bad when you take care of you.


~Mandu Usoro, aspiring WAHM, SAHM, Wife and WAH Consultant. To find out what I do and how I can inform you of what work from home employment is available to you visit me here.

Parenting Humor

"The Parent Club"
I've always said I'm not a joiner. I don't join book clubs, scrapbooking clubs, or country clubs. The only membership I have is to Sam's Club. Or so I thought. Then one day it dawned on me. I am a member of the most global, sought-after, honorable, stress-filled club there is. I belong to the Parenthood Club.




My status as a card-carrying member of the Parenthood Club was firmly established five years ago, when my son was 10-months-old. Without blinking an eye, I had the following two-sentence conversation one day with my husband.



Honey? he asked. Where's the bink?



I don't know, I replied. Last I saw, it was in the cats food dish. Check there.



Why does this conversation qualify me for membership in the Parenthood Club? Three simple reasons:



1. Members count a two sentence dialogue with their spouse as conversation;

2. Members completely understand the term bink;

3. Members think it makes perfect sense to find a bink lying in a bowl of kitty chow.



Smiling as I continued to wash latex nipples (hey, another qualification!), I thought yes, I've arrived.



And let me tell you, my friends, there's no place Id rather be!



HOW DO YOU JOIN THE PARENTHOOD CLUB?

Becoming a member of this exclusive club is simple. Have kids. Have one, or many. Have them two years apart, or all at once. Have a boy, a girl, or a mix of both. But realize that you are committing to a lifetime membership. Becoming a member is not the most difficult part. Its maintaining your status that's a constant challenge, a roller coaster ride, an emotional and physical adventure filled with ups and downs, bellies of laughter, and tear-filled tissues.



At no point can you elect to drop out of the Club. Believe me, there will be days when you will beg to cancel your membership, or at the very least temporarily put it on hold. Physically, its possible to freeze your membership (ie, nights out with friends, dates with your partner, get away weekends). But emotionally, you are committing to this Club forever.



EXCUSE ME, DOES THIS BABY COME IN A DIFFERENT SIZE?

Don't ever think you can borrow someone's baby to help determine if you want to join the Club. People will try this. Aunts and uncles will have their adorable nieces and nephews stay for a weekend while mom and dad get away, and they'll use the weekend to evaluate their abilities and interests in becoming parents. The plan just doesn't work. First of all, you cant test-drive a kid. Its ironic that the biggest decision you can ever make in your life doesn't come with the ability to have tryouts. But its also a fact.



Second, don't you wonder what the parents are trying to get away from? Of course, they're getting away from the insanity of being parents! And if you only experience parenthood for 48 hours, that's all you'll get. You'll awake at insane hours of the night, use up insane amounts of energy, answer insane questions an insane amount of times, and pray for Sunday to come and the insanity to end. You wont get to experience the indescribable that make the insanity so worth it!



WHAT ARE THE PERKS OF JOINING THE CLUB?

Just like the commercial promises, membership has its privileges. However, if you are seriously asking this question of people you know who are members, you're looking for validation or confirmation that you should join in the first place. And Club members will tell you that validation cant come from them. You'll just have to trust that you'll know when you're ready. Oh, members can offer little anecdotes about their experiences and were all-too-happy to do just that! We are the coworkers who ramble about little Matthews fascination with the toilet bowl, or sweet Ashley's use of profanity at the grocery store. And we appreciate your enjoyment or tolerance of our daily comic strip experiences. But please don't ponder these stories in serious deliberation about whether to have kids!



But for those who are curious, below is a list of some Club perks. Note that you experience some of the benefits even before the baby is born!



Pre-Delivery Perks

Having butterflies in your stomach upon sharing the news with family and friends that you are pregnant



Hearing your baby's heartbeat for the first time



Putting hands to the belly and feeling your baby's first kicks.



Appearing lazy by taking constant naps and lounging - but knowing you are the busiest person in the house, because your body is working to create life.



Being able to park in the designated parking spots near the store entrances.



Post-Delivery Perks

Seeing your parents hold their grandchild for the first time.



Knowing that word is spreading throughout the land. "The baby's here! Everyone is doing great!"



Coming home. Hey, even after staying at The Four Seasons, you're anxious to sleep in your own bed.



Receiving help. Family is cooking and cleaning, neighbors are delivering casseroles.



Sitting in that nursery that was empty for months, and is now so full of life!



Baby- Growing- Up Perks

Looking in your baby's eyes, knowing he knows you are his parent.



Seeing her first smile that isn't gas!



Booking a babysitter, and dating your partner again!



Watching your son crawl, walk, babble, and talk his way from being a baby to becoming a toddler.



Noticing everything around you. Airplanes, the moon, trees blowing in the wind, clouds, and puddles.



Experiencing childhood again. Riding a bike, Halloween costumes, building sand castles, and Santa Claus.



But the biggest reason, the best perk, is simply the privilege of spending every day with your child. Experiencing the incredible, undeniable, pure joy of that little person entering your life. Feeling an amazing sense of power and helplessness simultaneously engulf you when a small fist grabs hold and doesn't ever let goof your finger now, and your heart forever. These moments, and the awe-inspiring moments that follow, are too numerous to mention, and impossible to capture except through first-hand experience.



I guess one could argue that joining a book club is similar to joining the Parenthood Club. One, you really cant understand the benefits of a book club until you actually join one, and two, book club members share a love of books just like Parenthood Club members share the experience of having children.



The difference is the commitment and the rewards. Book club members can postpone reading the book of the month, or even opt out of the club for a while. Parents cant wake up in the morning and decide they don't want to have kids that day. Too late! Those little pancake-grubbing people will be at your bedside any minute. You have no idea how many treasure hunts you will go on (wave graduated from searching for binks to searching for Batman figures). If you have multiple kids, you have no idea how many arguments you will have to mediate. But you also don't know how many times your son will hug you, or your daughter will blow raspberries and tell you she loves you.



But you cant wait to find out! Welcome to the Club!


Kelli Robinson resides in North Carolina with her husband and two children who never cease to amaze, and constantly keep her on her toes!

Recipe of the Season: 

All-Star Fudgy Baseballs and Bats


1 c Carob powder

1 c Water

1/4 c Honey

1/4 c Peanut butter (smooth or cru

3/4 c Wheat germ

3/4 c Rolled oats

2 T Dry milk powder

1/2 c Unsweetened shredded coconut

1 t Cinnamon (optional)

1/2 t Grated orange rind (optional)

In a small saucepan, combine the carob and water. Bring to a boil over

low heat, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Add the honey and

peanut butter and continue cooking for about 5 minutes, or until syrup

is smooth and slightly thickened.

In a large bowl, mix together the wheat germ, oats, milk powder,

coconut, cinnamon, and orange rind (if desired).

Pour about one cup of the carob syrup over the dry mixture, or as

much as is needed to make a pliable, dough-like consistency. Store

the remainder in the refrigerator and use as an icing or to make great

milk shakes.

Pinch off pieces of the dough and roll each piece between your palms

into 2-inch-long tubes about the circumference of a fountain pen,

tapered at one end in the shape of a baseball bat. Roll the rest

into marble-sized balls.






___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Halloween Craft Activity for Kids



*Note if you enjoy crafting with your children, I highly recommend Chris's Book about crafts for kids. We always have fun doing the crafts, which are imaginative, not boring and keep the children's attention span long enough to get things done around the house as well. Most crafts can be done with the option of using glue or a staple(with adult supervision of course;).

Little Kid Crafts Mini Book

Business Joke of the Month

A crow was sitting on a tree, doing nothing all day. A small rabbit saw the crow, and asked him, "Can I also sit like you and do nothing all day long?". The crow answered: Sure, why not." So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the crow and rested. All of a sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it.

Management Lesson? To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up.



Inspiration of the Month

Authentic and Unique

You are unique. So think like it, act like it, and make the most of it.
Breakthroughs do not come from following the crowd. You are capable of truly great achievements if you will simply and authentically and passionately be you.

Why would you let anyone else define who you can be and what you can do? Those are decisions that are best made by you.

You have something valuable that no one else has. You have the unique perspective of being you, of seeing the world in a way that cannot be duplicated.

You have dreams that are yours alone, hopes, passions, things that interest you, things that make you laugh and things that make you cry. They all combine to create outstanding opportunities for fulfillment.

In all you do, richly express the wonderful, unique person that is you. And find joy in seeing your greatest achievements flow from your most authentic and unique efforts.

-- Ralph Marston



Read more: http://www.greatday.com/#ixzz0TzMGFsJx



Closing

Thanks for allowing me to share your day and being my subscriber, if only for a moment. If you have any questions or comments about my newsletter, please feel free to contact me. Have a great day.




Sincerely,

Mandu U.

Owner of EMDIAU

http://www.emdiau.com/

FREE Halloween Stories

To me, there is nothing creepier than being in a dimly lit room with flickering candles while someone tells an eerie Halloween story in hushed tones. I get goosebumps just thinking about it! If you or your readers are interested in the art of storytelling or just want a few stories to give friends and family a cold chill, grab your free 7 Halloween Stories PDF from master storyteller, Chuck Larkin. Oh, and don’t blame me if you can’t get to sleep tonight.

Kids Kit for Healthy Eating on the Go

We’d all like to eat healthier and as a mom, you know the importance of eating at home; however, there are just some times when it’s not possible. This may be especially true as you gear up for the holidays.

Kids don’t always know the difference between stopping by fast-food shop A and fast-food shop B. They tend to think in terms of “I like the burger from here and the milkshake from there.” Teaching kids about “eating healthy on the go” can be difficult but it just got easier for you.

Check out this kids healthy eating kit from Subway which includes a letter to parents, a cool skateboard and activity poster, as well as a planner/calendar with ideas and activities to help you teach them about making healthy choices.

Free 28 day ProX Regiment

Recently I read a study about spending during a recession. One of the things that I found interesting was that women cut down on large purchases but increased spending on the smaller pick-me-ups such as cosmetics and self-care items. I think it’s just great that, even during tough times, women instinctively know how to lift their spirits without throwing the budget out the window.




If you’re on a budget or need a little lift, you don’t have to spend a dime to look and feel good. Grab your Free 28-day sample of Olay Professional Pro-X.

Youth Led Community Outreach Program for Teens

Recently, any time I turn on the news there is another story of a child, teen or young adult being victimized. It is sad and discouraging when so many communities, being budget and man-power limited, don’t have the necessary resources to help these young people.

That’s why I was so excited to stumble upon the Teen Action Toolkit created by the National Center for Victims of Crime. Teen Action Toolkit is a hands-on implementation guide for the Teen Action Partnership for Teen Victims program (TAP) and is a great resource for educators, law enforcement, outreach workers, victim service providers, youth workers, parents, teens, and others who might be interested in starting a youth-led effort to improve local policies, outreach, and services for adolescent crime victims.

Teens and young adults think they know it all, that they’re invincible and ready to take on the world. However, under that tough exterior they are still just children who need our help and guidance as much as ever.

If you’d like to help your community create a teen-specific outreach program, pick up a copy of the Teen Action Toolkit: Building a Youth-led Response to Teen Victimization today.

http://cops.usdoj.gov/RIC/resourcedetail.aspx?RID=420

Organize Your Child's Health Info

Good Morning,
I thought that this was a nifty idea, especially when it comes to your kids immunizations and keeping them all up to date. Here’s a handy way to track your child’s immunization history and keep up with how fast they’re growing. You can request the free My Child’s Health Notebook to be mailed to you by simply filling out the information on this page.




https://www.prevakids.com/gerd-register/notebook.aspx




Request one for each child and have all their information in one easy-to-find location.