Welcome To The Weekend Blog Hop

Welcome to the Weekend Blog Hop where you can link up your favorite post of the week. Thank you for joining us and linking up. We are happy you are here and hope you will always come around. We have had a great week and now it's time for us to increase our followers by Blog Hopping all through the Weekend. Come and make new friends and find some interesting blogs to follow. You are free to link up to 3 different post or just your main blog. Happy Hopping.

Valentine’s Class Party Crafts for Kids

5 Valentine’s Day Party Crafts for Kids

No class party is complete without fun and creative projects! These 5 crafts will get your kid’s creativity flowing and get them in the spirit of Valentine’s Day!

Sweet & Simple Love Bug via My Kids Guide

A perfect craft for any age, these adorable caterpillars would make great Valentine’s Day gifts!

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Valentine’s Sun Catchers via Mom vs The Boys

Any parent would be thrilled to receive a hand made sun catcher – student’s can personalize them for an extra special touch!

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Paper Roll Owls via Happy Clippings

This craft is better suited for older children, but the finished product is adorable enough for all to enjoy.

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Thumbprint Bookmarks via Sweet and Lovely Crafts

Encourage crafting and reading with these sweet and simple bookmarks.

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Valentine’s Day Elephant via Sassy Dealz

Make just the face or the whole body – either way this elephant craft is 100% awesome!

Welcome To The Weekend Blog Hop

Welcome to the Weekend Blog Hop where you can link up your favorite post of the week. Thank you for joining us and linking up. We are happy you are here and hope you will always come around. We have had a great week and now it's time for us to increase our followers by Blog Hopping all through the Weekend. Come and make new friends and find some interesting blogs to follow. You are free to link up to 3 different post or just your main blog. Happy Hopping.

10 Basic Truths About Keeping Your Relationship Healthy

I think it's easy to make things more complicated than they need to be. Here are some basic rules of the relationship road that will keep you headed in the right direction.

1. Successful relationships take work. They don't happen in a vacuum. They occur when the couples in them take the risk of sharing what it is that's going on in their hearts and heads.

2. You can only change yourself, not your partner. If you love someone and think that after a while he or she will alter behaviors you find uncomfortable, think again. If you want changes, put them on the table, so your partner knows what you need.

3. All arguments stem from our own fear or pain. When upset occurs, check out what's going on inside you rather than getting angry with your partner. Truth is that we usually aren't upset for the reasons we think we are.

4. Understand that men and women are very different. We're not from Mars or Venus; we're not even in the same solar system. Understanding and celebrating our differences will make living together more peaceful, interesting and fun.

5. Honour each other in some way every day. Every morning, you have the opportunity to make your relationship sweeter and deeper by recommitting to your mate. Feeling respected and cherished by the one you love makes life much nicer.

6. Anger is a waste of time. Anger also is a relationship killer because it makes you self-absorbed and won't allow you to see the good. If you are annoyed with your mate, give yourself some time to calm down and then gently discuss what's going on for you.

7. Get regular tune-ups. Go to a couples workshop, talk with a counsellor or read a relationship book together at least once a year. Even if you don't think that you need ideas, and the process alone will strengthen your connection.

8. Find a way to become and stay best friends. For some, this sounds unromantic, but for those who live it, most say it's the best part of their time together.

9. Be responsible for your own happiness. No other person can make you happy. It's something that you have to do on your own. If you feel that it's your partner's fault, think again, and look within to find out what piece may be missing for you.

10. Give what you want to get. Our needs change with time. If you'd like to feel understood, try being more understanding. If you want to feel more love, try giving more. It's a simple program that really works.
There are no guarantees, but couples who practice these techniques have longer and stronger relationships than those who are not proactive in their love.


 by Barton Goldsmith, Ph.D. in Emotional Fitness

Face Plant - Creative Monday

Make your own face plant by printing out a face shot of you and your family and putting it in the glass part of the pot.
How to Make Tutorial http://goo.gl/NoFHBH

JANUARY FOOD FUN

New Year's Day - January 1: Many families ring in the New Year with a traditional meal meant to bring good fortune and health in the year ahead.  Good luck foods include: Greens: Their deep green color resembles money and are believed to bring wealth in the new year. Black Eyed Peas and Lentils: Resembling coins, these beans are said to bring prosperity in the New Year. Round fruits: Fruits such as oranges, melons, blueberries and grapes often eaten on New Year's Day. Their circular shape is a sign of that the previous year has ended, and the new year promises a fresh start. Cornbread: Because it's color is similar to gold, cornbread is often eaten by those hoping for a prosperous year. Pork:  Pigs dig up the ground to look for their food, eating pork on New Year's Day is sign to embrace the challenges and adventures to come in the new year. On the first day of 2014, enjoy a wonderful family meal and celebrate the beginning of a new year!

Big Birthdays! Benjamin Franklin and Michelle Obama - January 17:  Ben Franklin was most known for discovering electricity, but did you know he might have also been responsible for introducing tofu to America? Strange but true, Mr. Franklin was quite a foodie! He took a patriotic pride in using locally grown foods in cooking to avoid being dependent on imported foods from Europe. Some of his favorite local foods included apples, cranberries, maple syrup, turkey and corn. Michelle Obama, the First lady, will turn 50 on January 17th!  She has gained fame for starting the Let's Move initiative.  This program sets national goals to end childhood obesity in a generation. Let's Move" has four main pillars: Offering parents the tools and information they need to make better decisions about their children's nutrition. Getting healthier foods in the schools. Improving the accessibility and affordability of healthy foods. Physical activity -- increasing opportunities for kids to play and move.

National Soup Month: Nothing beats a warm bowl of delicious, homemade soup on a cold winter's day. Soup comes in many varieties - thick, creamy bisques and chowders, broth-based soups, vegetable-based chilis and gazpachos - nearly every country around the world has its own special soup recipe. Try a new soup recipe in January for National Soup Month!   Get the whole family in on the soup action with our fun Super Soup Bar Family Activity. Make a pot of soup today and you'll have dinner and lunches for the week, plus leftovers for the freezer. Click here for some of our tasty soup recipes.

Chinese New Year - January 31: End the month with another New Year's Celebration - on January 31st, the Chinese will welcome in the Year of the Horse. People born in the Year of the Horse include those with birth years of 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, and 2014. People born under the Chinese zodiac sign of the Horse are extremely animated, active and energetic. Horses love to be in a crowd and love to take center stage and delight audiences everywhere. Similar to our New Year, the Chinese New Year celebration is filled with food, fun and fireworks!  Read Chinese New Year for great recipes ideas to help you ring in the Year of the Horse with Chinese flavor!

What's In Season: The freshest winter fruits and vegetables include bananas, grapefruits, kale, lemons, mushrooms, onions, leeks, oranges, pears, potatoes, rutabagas, sweet potatoes, yams, turnips & winter squash.

Welcome To The Weekend Blog Hop

Welcome to the Weekend Blog Hop where you can link up your favorite post of the week. Thank you for joining us and linking up. We are happy you are here and hope you will always come around. We have had a great week and now it's time for us to increase our followers by Blog Hopping all through the Weekend. Come and make new friends and find some interesting blogs to follow. You are free to link up to 3 different post or just your main blog. Happy Hopping.

My Wishes For the Year 2014

A New Year Filled With Wishes
  A new year has arrived
And with that a lot of resolutions
I have so many on my list
It causes me a lot of confusion.

So I decided to make my resolutions "wishes"
And spread them with lots of cheer
They go out to you, and you, and you
Throughout this  year.

I wish for you a year filled with peace
Tranquillity, serene moments and love
Friends in abundance on whom you can rely
And bountiful blessings from above.

I wish for you a year filled with happiness
And no troubles to come your way
A path that is easily walked
And sunshine to fill your days.

I wish for you a year filled with joy
Laughter, hugs and kisses
A year you will always remember
Full of accomplishments, not near misses.

Herald in this time I wish for you
Make this year different from the rest
Fill it full of wonderful memories
Make this new Year one of your best!