Life is Prismatic

Four Crucial Thanksgiving Party Preparation Matters

The success of your Thanksgiving party largely depends on your planning and preparation. Here are some crucial matters that you should attend to when you host a Thanksgiving party.

Decorating Your Home for The Thanksgiving Holiday

Thanksgiving holiday takes place during autumn, which makes it an ideal time to decorate using the magnificent colors of fall. These colors are unlike the bright colors that of spring and summer or the sparkly colors that typify Christmas but these are the colors of nature in a seasoned and mature phase. The colors are nothing short of dramatic that can provide an excellent palette upon which base your home decor.

History of Thanksgiving Day: Turkey Was Not Part of The First Celebration

The earliest record of harvest thanksgiving feast is in the Bible in the Book of Leviticus. The Israelites were to hold the Feast of the Tabernacles on the 15th day of the 7th month, after gathering the crops. The people were to live in booths made of branches to remind them of the days they lived in tents in the wilderness. This celebration lasted eight days, and the people were instructed to praise God during this time.

Planning a Thanksgiving Party for All Ages

When it concerns hosting an all ages Thanksgiving party, you'll likely discover that a little bit more work is needed. This is because you do not need to plan for a particular group of people, but two different groups. You would like to make sure that your Thanksgiving party has activities that are aimed at the adults, as well as the children. That is why, some of the times, a little bit more preparation is called for; nonetheless, that extra preparation will probably make your Thanksgiving party that much more pleasurable.

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A Life Lesson From The Cheshire Cat

People without goals are a little like Alice in the fairy tale Alice in Wonderland.

“If you aim for nothing, you’re sure to hit it.” There’s a lot of truth in this old saying—especially when applied to personal growth.
If we do not establish specific goals for ourselves, we will make little if any real progress. We’ll wander aimlessly from one experience to another.
People without goals are a little like Alice in the fairy tale Alice in Wonderland. In a conversation between her and the Cheshire cat, Alice asked, “Would you tell me please, which way I ought to go from here?”
“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the cat.

“I don’t much care where,” said Alice.
“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the cat.
That way of living may be okay in Wonderland, but it doesn’t work in the real world. If we are going to make personal progress in any aspect of our life – be it career, love, family, education, or whatever, we must be specific. It is not enough to say, “I’m going to be a better person.” That’s far too general. We need to set up a battle plan, a strategy within ourselves.
If we set clearly defined goals for our development, in ways that are realistically achievable, even in small consistent steps, we will see progress in our life. We won’t always be wondering, “Which way from here?”

When Is The Proper Time to Give Children Their Allowance?

When should children be taught lessons on money? This is a common query among parents.

Many instructional angles can be brought out when we deal with money and our kids, but let’s zero in on allowance this time. Allowance refers to small amounts of money given for extras, and sometimes, for necessities. A regular allowance can be a very effective teaching tool as long as parents clarify what they will provide and what the allowance is to be used for. When parents do this, they teach the young how to set priorities, discriminate between needs and wants, and how to develop the restraint necessary towards saving.

Read more: When to Give Children Their Allowance

Reading to a Sick Child is Therapeutic

Reading to a sick child is excellent therapy. The modulation of your own voice will be very soothing to him or her. No radio, or television programs, regardless of their number, will ever take your place, although they can be a help to the child; but the young mind needs food for thought. Good stories that have cheerful endings are best for any child. The words should be easy for the child to understand. Young children love to hear the same favorite story time after time. This is food for a developing mind.

Read more: Reading to a Sick Child is Therapeutic
photo by Ryan McVay

How to Care for a Sick Child at Home

Most illnesses from which children suffer are similar to those that strike adults. But with children, one cannot afford to wait very long before doing something about the illness.

Caring for a sick child at home requires real skill and understanding. The mind of a child works differently from that of an adult. He has so little experience by which to judge. He cannot help feeling afraid, even though you may have told him that he will be well again in a few days.

Read more: How to Care for a Sick Child at Home

Finding Hope in Seemingly Hopeless Situations

Behind every action, beneath every endeavor lies this quiet, persistent, creative force, giving strength to all who believe in it, and blend it into their lives. But let’s be realistic. How do you practice hope when you’re feeling anything but hopeful?

For Teens: Resolving Conflicts with Your Parents

During your teenage years it can seem impossible to have a civil conversation with your parents, much less to be friends with them.
While at one time you have gotten along just great, you may now find it difficult to get through dinner without falling into some sort of argument. It’s not fun.

Here are some reasons why teenagers and parents often find themselves fighting and at odds with one another.

Depression in Children

While it is painful to see any child suffer, we can’t deny the fact that depression is an illness that can also strike children.

Although its extent is unknown, most specialists believe that childhood depression can be as severe as the adult form. Recognizing depression in pre-adolescent children can be difficult. However, any significant, persistent change in a child’s normal behavior can signal the possibility of depression.

Symbolisms of Significant Trees in The Bible

Fig tree silhouetted at African dawn, Kenya, Africa

Throughout the Bible, up to the last chapter of Revelation, trees are seen as important to mankind. Many varieties of trees are cited in the Bible. The cedar became a temple, the fig, a covering, and the gopher an ark. A tree was connected with man’s sin. In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 3:1-7). Another tree played a key role in the price of man’s sin. At Calvary, the Lord Jesus Christ died by crucifixion upon a tree.

Parental Neglect: The Passive Abuse

black and white view of a young girl (6-7) sitting in a corner covering her face with her hands

In an issue of Psychology Today, educator Avis Brenner identifies a form of child abuse affecting an estimated million and a half American children – parental neglect. In contrast to the strong love/ hate emotions physically abusive parents feel toward their children, neglectful parents indicate little feeling for them. They simply don’t care.

Words That Heal

There is such a thing as verbal medicine. Encouraging words while you’re under the knife may mean faster recovery from surgery, with fewer complications, according to the doctors at the United Medical and Dental Schools of Guy’s and St. Thomas’s Hospitals, London.

Entering Prison for a Greater Cause

The observation that penal institutions unwittingly reinforce the deviant tendencies of inmates has been repeatedly made by criminologists. How can the cycle be broken?

Why do so many criminals repeat their offenses? In a landmark study conducted by Sheldon and Eleanor Glueck, the conclusion emerged that about three fourths of those entering jail have been there before. The younger the person at the time of the first offense, the higher the rate of return to jail and the sooner it occurs.

Dyslexics: Coping with Their Learning Difficulties

One out of every five children is possibly affected by dyslexia, making it one of the most widespread of the learning disabilities. In the USA alone, 10 million children are dyslexic. Many children are suffering, yet still more remain undiagnosed and unable to receive the needed support to overcome this condition.

This intrigued many scientists who had been studying the disorder for years. They finally realized that those who have the disorder could actually possess above average to exceptional intelligence.

See What Gratitude Can Do for You

A friend once told me, “Life is too important to be easy.” You can’t maintain a constant state of happiness—nobody can. But the harder you work at gratitude and the sooner you dissolve the “if onlys,” the better you’ll feel. There’s no limit to how high you can soar in joy, once you’ve unclipped your wings.

Superstitions in Our Midst

Most people are superstitious than they care to admit. Hardly a human exists that doesn’t harbor a few apprehensions – consciously or subconsciously – about black cats, broken mirrors, spilled salt, or the number thirteen.

But which one of us hasn’t at one time or another wished on a birthday cake candle, pulled on a wishbone for good luck, tossed a coin into a wishing well, knocked on wood, crossed our fingers for good luck (or when we told a lie), shunned opening an umbrella in a house (lest bad luck rain on us), felt happy at finding a four-leaf clover, or said, “Gesunheit” or “God bless you” to someone who sneezed?

How to Treat a Baby’s Cold

How can a parent help a baby with cold feel better? A baby’s first cold is a milestone that most parents would prefer to miss. But that is unlikely because infants, whose immune systems haven’t had a chance to build them selves up, are particularly vulnerable to the almost 200 different cold viruses. You can’t cure your baby’s cold, but you can offer relief for its symptoms.

Read more: How to Treat a Baby’s Cold

The Egg-Laying Mammals

Among the best characteristics of mammals that include the presence of hair or fur on the skin and mammary glands in the females that secrete milk is they give birth to their live young instead of laying eggs. However, there is and exception to this.

Of the 21 orders of the Mammalia class, one order is so classified for the reproductive nature of its species to lay eggs rather than live births. This is the order Monotremata.

Etiquette for Oriental Dining

When invited by a Chinese host at a dinner party and you are quite unsure of what to do at a traditional Oriental dinner, let this guide to Chinese dining etiquette help you.

*Never play or point with your chopsticks. Do not leave them standing in a rice bowl because they resemble joss sticks used in a funeral or for ceremonies for their dead. Doing that is considered bad luck.

Read more: Etiquette for Oriental Dining

Teaching Children to Enjoy Dental Visits

Dentist and patient in an examining room

A dental visit is a regular appointment for all of us. It starts during childhood. Many people don’t enjoy dental visits, yet there is an increasing number of children who anticipate their appointments as excitedly as if they were going to the park. These children began their visits at an early age before serious problems occurred. They view their dentist as a friend.

Did You Know That Hostile People May Die Sooner?

The highest levels of cholesterol were found among those measuring highest both in hostility and driven Type A behavior.

It looks as if nice guys may end up on top after all...

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My Father’s Day Alphabet Tribute

While every father lives his life, the children observe. The traits he passes on to his children are a legacy to be cherished. There are certain words that make me remember my dad the most. Here they are:

Sibling Fights Can be Good for Your Kids

Little Boy And Girl Having Fight On Wooden Bench

Siblings fight over anything, and everything. A parent having more than one kid knows very well what sibling wars are. Fighting can actually be beneficial for siblings. Here are the reasons why:

1) These intense arguments common between siblings helps them develop understanding of relationships and a variety of constructive skills. When siblings fight and then make up, they learn that anger is natural and that relationships can survive disagreements.

Read more: Sibling Fights Can be Good for Your Kids

Fast and Easy Time-Saving Kitchen Tips

Not much time to cook? Here are some tips to help you save time in the kitchen.

Cook Once, Eat All Week

Rice and other grains can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to five days. To reheat, simply place the desired amount in a colander and pour boiling water over it until it’s heated through. Drain and serve immediately.

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The Value of Silence

Whoever started the rule that study halls and other places requiring silence should be bastions of quiet has done a great service to humanity.

Great things have been hatched in silence. Leonardo da Vinci sat motionless for days in front of an untouched canvass before he could even start on his Last Supper masterpiece. The abbot who commissioned him the job, a man without the slightest hint that ideas are born not only in the onrush of conscious effort but also in the quiet, almost subconscious workings of the mind, was greatly displeased.

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Open Yet Empty Arms on Mothers’ Day

A familiar scene shows children with cards, papers, and crayons, scribbling hearts, wobbly letters and words of love. Husbands bring home gift wrapped presents or plan a surprise special meal. The family lets Mom have her leisurely day. It is a day when women with children receive the adoration and praises the very much deserve. It is a day of happiness and warm affection as well it should be.

Yet, in some homes, the happiness of this day does not reach all homes. To some, Mother’s Day is a date to dread...

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Associated Content Removes Performance Payments for Non-US Citizens

Has economy gone this bad?!!! Effective May 1, 2010, Associated Content will no longer give Performance Payments to Non-US citizens. Members, however, may still get a chance to earn if they will apply as a Featured Contributor and, if ever they get accepted to the Featured Contributor program that’s the only chance they can earn through a few assignments that they can grab when available.

They will also raise their minimum payout from $1.50 to $100. How sad.

Read more: Associated Content Removes Performance Payments for Non-US Citizens

How to Enjoy Life to The Fullest

Three senior women and a mature woman holding tea cups and laughing

Some things make life pleasant, others make it miserable. Here are ways to enjoy life although the these pointers may not always be easy to follow.

1) Make up your mind to be happy. Find pleasure in simple things.

2) Make the best of your circumstances. Everyone has sorrows. Seek ways to make smiles outnumber tears.

3) You can’t please everyone. Don’t let your critics run and ruin your life. The more you accomplish, the more resistance you will meet.

Read more: How to Enjoy Life to The Fullest