Gift Shopping Tips for a Tight BudgetWritten by Karen Couillard
Have you seen prices of greeting cards lately? It is hideous! Once you purchase card and gift-wrap, your overall cost can easily increase by $10 to$15. If you are on a tight budget, this can be difficult as you spend more on fluff and less on actual gift. Not only are greeting cards expensive, their sizes often overwhelm small gifts, which make overall presentation, looking goofy and unbalanced. Basically, you really don’t need to spend on expensive greeting cards to make an impression.We all have this perception that greeting cards are perfect match to gift giving. Although true, there are cost effective ways that can help you spend more on gifts and less on greeting cards. For instance, packaged blank cards are best way to go as you pay less per card then individually. The other advantage of blank cards is that they are not specific to an occasion and can be used for anything. You should always have a pack handy and ready to use, as you never know when you will need to buy someone a last minute gift or card. Choosing the
| | Sharing Books With ChildrenWritten by Sherry Frewerd
One of my first memories of childhood is that of my mother reading Dr. Seuss books to me in a big brown recliner in our living room. That memory brings with it sounds and smells and a general feeling of safety and comfort that never fades, even after all these years. Naturally, one of first memories I have of my own first born child is sitting in a big chair and reading Little Golden Books to him. Sharing books and reading with my children is as natural as giving them baths and making their breakfast. It’s just something I do everyday, and it’s one of most pleasurable moments of my day. I love to hold my two year old in my lap while we snuggle up and look through his ever growing library of books. His favorite books change weekly as his interests broaden. Books open up world to him and his imagination is bubbling over with new ideas every day. More than just telling a story, books help children better understand their own ideas and feelings and often calm an upset toddler when nothing else will work. They see and hear about other kids like them and others from around world who are different. We’ve all seen little kids acting out stories they hear. As a child I spent many afternoons pretending to be characters from my favorite books. Just recently my son was playing ‘Dr.Dan. The Bandage Man’, a current favorite Little Golden Book. Although reading with children is so very rewarding for both adult and child, little kids need time to look at books alone. This allows them opportunity to look at pictures and develop habit of ‘reading’ even though they can’t yet read. In my Family Child Care, I have different ‘libraries’ available in different rooms in my home. The kids have labeled these areas ‘libraries’ themselves, and will often rotate books from room to room and act out ‘going to library’ daily. Imagine my surprise when I first witnessed a three year old taking younger kids ‘to library.’
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