Princesses Create a Story Stamping Kit - a fantastic Christmas gift for a creative child

Know any little princesses or princes?
This is a wonderful gift for any child aged 6 and up to encourage their creativity and stimulate their imagination. It's a really absorbing activity for a cold or rainy afternoon and provides a marvellous alternative to television,videeo or computers.
Children will be inspired to make up stories using the 10 beautifully illustrated sheets. They use the 3 stencils sheets to draw patterns and scenes and there are 10 character stamps to bring them to life. The kit also includes a stamp pad and ideas booklet and it is presented in a beautiful princess box.
Dimensions L23.5 x H23 x D4cm http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001G7UXMG

Craft Ideas using tape and other household supplies by M Chris

Rainy days, cancelled school, or just another Sunday will often find children being stuck indoors and complaining about boredom. Why not make the day interesting and fun making crafts and projects using supplies that are most likely just lying around the house? Using ordinary objects such as coat hangers and glow in the dark tape can turn a dull day into one full of learning and excitement.

Create the solar system! Using the glow in the dark tape and a coat hanger help the kids build their very own solar system they can hang in their rooms. This is a great way to teach them about the solar system (even if the internet is needed for some brushing up) while giving them something to do for the time being and they can enjoy for several weeks to come.

Get silly with the creating. Parents and children alike can have a blast coming up with costume ideas using household items. Create an alien spacesuit from tin foil and the glow in the dark tape to go with the solar system or dress up an old costume with it. Glow in the dark tape comes in a variety of colors and the kids' excitement with their creation will be rejuvenated when it gets dark outside and they can still see their creations in the dark. They may even want to go to bed on time, even if it is just to see their creation in a dark room.

Speaking of dark rooms have them decorate and old lamp using the tape. The light from the lamp will help to charge the tape and when the lights are off, voila, the lamp will still light up the room. Kids will love being creative making animal or flower shapes in the tape or simply wrapping it around so it covers the entire lamp shade or base. However they choose to decorate the lamp it will surely give them an hour or two or creative fun.

Use those old socks and put on a puppet show. Using old socks, yarn and a marker have them make puppets and come up with their own puppet show. Be the audience or join in on the fun. Sock puppets are an easy project and can work for a variety of different ages.

Tape these days comes in a wide assortment of colors and patterns. Help the kids pick an item, perhaps a headband or an old cup and they can decorate the item using the tape. Wrapping tape around the cup or headband is one way to do it but, with help from an adult, they can also cut out shapes and adhere them to the items. Stickers would also be a fun option but by using tape it will be more adhesive and more likely to stick to the object for a longer period of time.

A great idea for a day stuck indoors, especially in the early spring or fall, is to make a kite. Several kids can work on one kite or they can all make their own. Get out tape, ribbon, paper, markers, string and whatever else is laying around and let the kids go crazy. They can make an animal or just decorate it to their liking. Then they can hang them in their rooms until the next windy day and take them out for a fly.

Craft ideas using items already lying around the house are endless. With a little creative thinking, and some help from the internet, parents and caregivers can give their kids a day filled with fun and save them from boredom. Teaching them creative ways to use their time and helping them learn are great ways to beat the monotony of a day indoors for both parents and children.

NonSlip Tapes supplies a large range of anti-slip products for homes and businesses. With their customer's safety constantly in mind, they offer a range of non-slip supplies to suit the needs of everyone. From bath mats and hand rails to every form of anti-slip tape imaginable they are sure to have the product that anyone needs. Their tape comes in variety of sizes and colors and features a superior adhesive to ensure it remains in place through all sorts of traffic and conditions. They strive to get their customers their orders quickly and even offer international shipping. They are known for offering competitive prices so call them for a quote or stop by their website at http://www.nonsliptapes.com today.

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Simplifying all things household with the once-a-week rule by Katie O;Brien

The average to-do list never seems to stop growing... and yet things never seem to really get accomplished... do they?

It's a nasty side-effect of being overwhelmed for sure... but what if you could make things a little simpler at home with those chaotic to-do lists? I've found the number one time-suck for mothers who want to simplify their lives is the never-ending household to-dos.

So to simplify this I've developed the Once-A-Week Rule. And it works like a charm!

• The Once-A-Week Rule is setting time aside each week on the same day each week around the same time to do the same tasks.

Need an example?

So Sunday evenings you could plan the meals for the week ahead. Wednesday afternoons, vacuum. Wednesday evenings, laundry. Tuesday evenings could be for cleaning bathrooms. Thursday afternoons you could grocery shop and run errands.

So to the average person this might just sound like a regular old schedule. And in a way it is... but it's actually so much more.

The benefit of following the Once-A-Week Rule is you only have to worry about things once a week. And you only have to do these things once a week.

Let me explain...

By following the Once-A-Week Rule it allows you the opportunity to be fully present with the tasks at hand instead of worrying about what else needs to get done that day... or that week. This Rule also forces you to get what you need done in the appointed day/time slot without feeling the need to worry about anything else in that moment.

By having a specific day and time scheduled, you automatically know that's what you'll be doing and that's when you'll take care of that particular task... thus removing the worry and dread of reviewing your to-do lists all throughout the day and wondering when you'll fit it all in.

If you want to start using this rule you'll want to start with the following:

1. Determine what NEEDS to get done throughout your week. Take special note of things you're doing multiple times throughout the week.


2. Next, commit to doing the laundry, vacuuming, bathrooms, dusting, etc. once a week. It IS possible, I promise! You just have to believe it is and then find a way to make it happen. You can take one full day for these or break it up throughout the week.


3. Next, you'll want to try it out. Do you need more time? Did you realize you need less time when you eliminate distractions? After trying it out, customize it so it fits your lifestyle.

Take note of what happens when you take a little upfront time to plan accordingly and only make one trip to the grocery store that week. Then see what happens when you let the laundry sit for a few days extra and then do one large batch of laundry. Recognize it's not juts saving you time but helping your sanity.

Ask yourself right now, how would your current situation be different if you decided to only run errands once a week?

How would your stress level shift if you only cleaned your house once a week?

What would it take to follow this Once-A-Week Rule in your house? And now when will you be making this happen??

If you love this rule and will be giving it a GO in your house, let me know! Use the buttons below to share via social media and let everyone know how it's working for you!

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Katie O'Brien is a Life Coach who is on a mission to inspire a happier, simpler motherhood experience. She writes about real life, moving through everyday stress and how to find inner peace as a busy mom. Learn more and connect with Katie at http://katieobrien.com.

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Encouraging your children to be creative through writing by Rebecca F Pittman

I am an 8-time published author who was fortunate enough to be raised by a mother who set no limits on what life could offer her. I was encouraged to draw, write, sing, act and go after every dream in which I found excitement and wonder. What a gift!

Children will see life as an amazing array of open doors, or one of closed-off opportunities and limits. The difference in their perspective comes from the people in their early years who they see as authoritative and powerful: parents, teachers, family members, peers, etc. If they are taught that life is a plethora of creative opportunities and handed the tools to begin that creative process, the world becomes an amazing place filled with magic and fulfilled dreams.

Too often children are raised believing life is only to be endured. It may not be said in words within the home but they pick up the signals in their parent's constant talk of unpaid bills, broken cars, disappointing jobs and unhappy lives. Do we really want our children to begin life fearing it, or feeling there is a ceiling over their heads that they can never penetrate? Life has no limits. None! Our creative minds have the keys to create a lifetime of happiness and abundance.

I began writing when I was eight years-old. I began drawing at the same time. My mother encouraged my creative interests by keeping me supplied with paper, pencils, art books and an easel. From an early age I was writing stories of mystery and fantasy. She dutifully sat and listened to what were some very lame attempts at short stories, but always smiled and said they were wonderful and to keep going. I did. The stories became more polished over the years. I have a file cabinet stuffed with old manuscripts that date back to my youth.

Today, to see my books published through traditional publishing houses and through my own self-publishing efforts is a thrill I can't define. I have also, to date, painted over 3,000 murals all across the country. My mother passed away in 2008 and her support, enthusiasm and love are missed in my life everyday. To give your child the gift of imagination and words of encouragement that say "You can do this! I believe in you!" is a very priceless present.

Encourage your children to be creative. It will impact every area of their lives. They will learn to think outside the box, engineer new opportunities, go after their dreams and live a life that serves them and brings them happiness. Creative people never settle for others' limitations or walls.

Give your child a journal and encourage them to write down their experiences: at home, at play, at school. Tell them to invent a character that gets into all kinds of interesting situations, and then have them find a way out of those challenges. This teaches them at an early age to be problem solvers and inventive. Give them a drawing pad and pencils so they can illustrate their work. Never criticize their words or art. You can shut down the joy very quickly by being too perfectionistic. Their craft will improve on its own. Give them the freedom to express themselves in their own way. They will have plenty of people channeling their thoughts when they are in school. There is no wrong way to express yourself in art. Van Gough is a case in point.

Those little minds that have been entrusted to you, look to you for their GPS in this world. Teach them all roads are open and detours are only opportunities to see other sights. And... coloring inside the lines is optional.

Rebecca F. Pittman is a motivational speaker, TV Talk Show Host and author. Her latest book, T.J. Finnel and the Well of Ghosts, is a children's novel geared to the middle grade market through adult, and has been compared to Fablehaven and Harry Potter. The sequel is due out Spring of 2015. This is book one of a five-book series.

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Give Play Back to Childrenby Jason Fernandez Walter

Recently, children have had their playtime obstructed and cut down by a big margin from what they had a couple of years ago. The freedom of play was missing from society for a long while and now, it seems as if it's something no one actually cares enough to bring back. After all, children were only made to focus on academics only and not on play, right? Wrong!

Longer school hours and piling heaps of homework on children has contributed greatly to this outcome and now, most schools and parents are calling for a sanction on playtime at schools, to which we have only one exclamation to make: you're being idiotic. Sure academics help children to learn, but what many have forgotten is the play is the basis of learning for all children under the age of 10. Without the basis, all you're doing is creating further problems for any future academic failings. There's a reason why Finland requires its children to be seven years of age before they begin school. And they have the highest educational standards and results in the world! What's more is that finish elementary schools give children up to 75 minutes of recess time every day whereas elementary schools in the United States can only muster an average of 27 minutes.

Overburdening children with hours and hours of studying times and homework is only going to result in a stressful environment. The days when stress and anxiety were problems faced by adults only are long gone - and children as young as 5 years old can succumb to these mental problems too. As for the argument that playing will only bring the learning capabilities of children down, recent studies have shown that higher playing times and better grades at school have a direct link.

And it's just not studies in which your children can excel if playing times are increased, but their overall development is brought under the light as well. The physical, cognitive, social and emotional aspects of a child are developed massively which all help the child to hone multiple skills in later life and also ensures their brain development is undertaken in the best possible way. Play also helps the bond between a child and his/her parent or caregiver to be strengthened in more ways than one.

First of all, the communication barrier between the two is improved vastly and children learn to let their feelings and emotions known in a more positive way. And secondly, they also learn of each others limitations, wants, likes and dislikes, which helps the relationship to grow. Play helps children to accept other children; realize their shortcomings and work together to minimize them. Emotionally, they also develop friendships and likeness towards each other and get along and resolve conflicts whenever needed.

So you can see from today's assessment (although a relatively minor one) that play is just as important (if not more) than academics for children and there is no way it should be limited or cut down. Instead, we should work on ways to increase playtime as much as possible.

An avid researcher and keen blogger and writer, Jason Walter spends most of his time at playgrounds with his children and on outdoor playground equipment. He also finds ways of conjuring up ways parents can help their children. Jason believes that children shape a healthy society and are its future and draws inspiration for his work from is two sons. You can read more of his writings and you can follow him at Preschool playground equipment.

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6 Little Behaviour problems you shouldn't ignore by Pamela Kramer - Problem 6

Last but not least, here is problem behaviour number 6 ;

Exaggerating the Truth

Why you shouldn't ignore it: It may not seem like a big deal if your child says he made his bed when he barely pulled up the covers, or if he tells a friend that he's been to Walt Disney World when he's never even been on a plane, but it's important to confront any type of dishonesty head-on. "Lying can become automatic if your child learns that it's an easy way to make himself look better, to avoid doing something that he doesn't want to do, or to prevent getting into trouble for something he's already done," Dr. Wyckoff says.

How to stop it: When your child fibs, sit down with him and set the record straight. Say, "It would be fun to go to Disney World, and maybe we can go some day, but you shouldn't tell Ben that you've been there when you really haven't." Let him know that if he doesn't always tell the truth, people won't believe what he says. Look at his motivation for lying, and make sure he doesn't achieve his goal. For example, if he said that he brushed his teeth when he didn't, have him go back and brush them. When 5-year-old Sophia Hohlbaum started stretching the truth, her mom, Christine, told her the story of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf," in which a boy who'd been lying cries for help for real and people ignore him. "Storytelling helps kids view the problem from the outside in," says Hohlbaum, author of Diary of a Mother: Parenting Stories and Other Stuff. "Now Sophia's very straightforward with me?and she's very self-righteous if I don't believe her."

http://www.parents.com/toddlers-preschoolers/development/behavioral/problems-you-shouldnt-ignore/

6 Little Behaviour Problems you shouldn't ignore by Pamela Kramer: Problem 5

Having a Little Attitude

Why you shouldn't ignore it: You may not think your child is going to roll her eyes or use a snippy tone until she's a preteen, but sassy behavior often starts when preschoolers mimic older kids to test their parents' reaction. "Some parents ignore it because they think it's a passing phase, but if you don't confront it, you may find yourself with a disrespectful third-grader who has a hard time making and keeping friends and getting along with teachers and other adults," Dr. Borba says.

How to stop it: Make your child aware of her behavior. Tell her, for example, "When you roll your eyes like that, it seems as if you don't like what I'm saying." The idea isn't to make your child feel bad but to show her how she looks or sounds. If the behavior continues, you can refuse to interact and walk away. Say, "My ears don't hear you when you speak to me that way. When you're ready to talk nicely, I'll listen."

http://www.parents.com/toddlers-preschoolers/development/behavioral/problems-you-shouldnt-ignore/

Look out for final problem number 6 tomorrow!