Well this year you may be able to do something a little different, especially for the ones who are hard to buy for.

Every home you go to you will see art prints, posters or photographs adorning the walls. If you go through a gallery of motivational posters you will find prints of all kinds that have inspirational sayings such as "Goals-Dolphin, which says, There is no end to the amount of things you can accomplish". This is great for home or office. Office gifts are often the more tricky gifts and a motivational poster is the kind of gift that is beautiful and inspirational.

For the person you are buying for, are they interested in hockey, football, baseball, golf, the military, extreme sports, rock climbing, animals, flowers, ethnic art, etc.? So many areas have been covered that you should be able to find what you are looking for.

Some examples of extraordinary pictures such as a print called, Perseverance-Cliff Hanger with a saying, "What the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve". Or, Challenge-Runner with this saying, "Winners must have two things; definite goals and a burning desire to achieve them"!

Art is universal, so remember, "When Art Inspires, dreams Become Reality"!

Willie Jones

Willie is a freelance writer, researcher, floral designer, and artist. Thanks very much for reading this far.

"Make sure you enroll in the free motivational poster drawing at http://www.artinspires.com/. All winners receive a free framed print."

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How did we make the costumes? Easy!

The bumblebees were made with …

• Yellow Garbage Bags (one per child)
• Black Electrical Tape
• Hair Bands
• Pipe Cleaners
• Small Foam Balls (available at craft and dollar stores)

The yellow garbage bags were laid flat on a desk and while the kindergarten children held them down, the grade 7 children put four stripes of electrical tape across, front and back. Each stripe had 3 widths of the tape. Finally, arm and neck holes were cut out of the garbage bags. Note: If you make a mistake, clear packing tape or scotch tape works wonders.

The antennae were made by twisting 2 pipe cleaners to each hair band and then, pushing a foam ball onto the other end of each pipe cleaner (the wire inside the pipe cleaners makes this easy). Note: Before adding the pipe cleaners, we wrapped them around a pencil to give them that curly look and add strength.

The flowers were even easier to make than the bees. The garbage bags only needed arm and neck holes cut out.

The flowers were made with …

• Green Garbage Bags (one per child)
• Coloured Paper
• Scotch Tape

To make the head of the flower, we first cut a 2-inch wide strip of paper for each child and wrapped it around each one’s head from the top of their head to their chin, being sure to create a comfortable fit. We then taped it and removed it. Next we cut out several colours of petals about 5-6 inches high by 3-4 inches wide and let each child pick the colour they wanted for their flower. We did the cutting by eye, so the measurements are approximate. Next, we attached the chosen petals all along the inside edge of the bands we had just made and finally, folded the petals outward. Note: The number of petals varied with the preferences of each child.

For most of the children the flower head piece stayed on perfectly. For the ones who had trouble with it slipping off, we added a second strip of 2-inch wide paper to the first one from approximately ear to ear, around the back of the head on the day of the performance.

The final result was amazing. The kids were absolutely thrilled with their accomplishments and the performance was a great success.

Important: Please remember that plastic bags are not a toy and should be used with caution, under adult supervision.

The author has hosted hundreds of kid’s and youth programs and events, ladies’ events, community events, showers, birthday parties, slumber parties, and camps over the last 25 years. She also directs local theater productions and teaches drama at a small private school. If you are planning a costume party, shower, scavenger hunt or any other gathering or event visit http://www.diva-girl-parties-and-stuff.com for party games and ideas.

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(1) If you have just started a new relationship, buy a small but meaningful Christmas gift for your significant other. Pick out something that you know that your significant other would appreciate but would not necessarily purchase for themselves. Something like a CD that they have talked about but have not bought for themselves, a movie that you went to see together, or something that they would consider a luxury like a pedicure kit. The more personal, the better, and price should not really be a consideration with this kind of gift. If you find a book that your significant other has been talking about non stop for a month on the half off shelf, consider yourself lucky and maybe throw in a pretty bookmark.

(2) No matter how long you have been together, do not dwell on the price. You should not have to set spending limits. If you spend a lot of time together, you are most likely going to know what expectations are in that capacity. A very expensive but thoughtless gift is not, most likely, going to carry the same meaning as an inexpensive but very thoughtful gift. Just the same, if you set a ten dollar spending limit, but you have had your eyes on a DVD box set that your honey has been drooling over all year, it could cause an argument if you ignore the spending limit.

(3) Do not worry too much about what you think social expectations are in terms of Christmas shopping. Do what feels right to you. If commercials are telling you that your significant other wants a ride on lawnmower, but your gut is saying that they want a new movie and a night at home with you, or tickets to their favorite team’s next home game, chances are that you are probably the one that is right. After all, you are the one that is in the relationship.

As a general rule, if you are not sure, anything that initiates together time or an outing/activity is a pretty good and a little bit unusual gift item. Think about planning a Christmas matinee to see that movie that your sweetheart has been talking about non-stop. Make a night of it with dinner before and maybe take-home dessert afterwards. Coupon books are another good idea. Be creative, be thoughtful, but most importantly be yourself.

Michael Contaro http://www.christmasseasonhq.com For All Your Holiday Gifts

Michael Contaro is the creator of http://www.christmasseasonhq.com For All Your Holiday Gifts

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While there are plenty of excellent Sydney hotels to choose from, many business people and seasoned travelers elect to use some of the many available Sydney apartments instead.

These Sydney apartments are easy enough to find in the local phone book, but there’s list to get you started available at the end of this article.

Just as your Australian hotels range from hostel (pension) standard up to five star luxury hotels, Sydney apartments can be found in every price bracket and level of service.

Many Sydney apartments are conveniently placed in the central business district (the Sydney CBD), while others are located in pleasant Sydney suburbs a little further out. Some, for example, and located near Sydney beaches such as Bondi, or Coogee, or Manly.

Most are easily reached by bus, and some are on a train route. Manly can be reached by bus as well, but it’s more fun to take the ferry ride across Sydney’s magnificent harbor to Circular Quay (pronounced Circular Key).

Whether you’re looking for a large suite to hold a family of six or entertain business guests. Then maybe you’d prefer to keep the price right down and have a tiny studio one-room apartment. Whatever your requirements, there will be a Sydney apartment deal to save you money and make your stay in Australia a comfortable one.

Before you decide which of the many Sydney apartments will be the one for you, do some basic investigation for yourself.

You ought to contact maybe three places, and compare what they charge and what they offer. Then write a list of the places you’ll visiting for business or pleasure, and check how each of the Sydney apartments you’re considering is located in relation to those places.

Find out how far these Sydney apartments are from public transport (bus/ferry/train), and ask them how much the fares are and how often the services run. Then ask about cafes, restaurants, food supermarkets, entertainment and laundry facilities.

That way you’ll enjoy your visit to Australia a little bit more, and you’ll get the maximum use from your choice of the Sydney apartments available to you.

David Harvey is a former journalist who spent half his life in southeast Asia and who now resides in Sydney Australia. After working in I.T. he now publishes several successful web sites, including http://www.sydney-nsw-australia.com and http://www.dirt-cheap-airline-tickets.info You are free to use this article as long as his link in the article and/or resource box is clickable by human visitors, and can be followed by the search engine spiders.

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A Brooklyn shopkeeper was inspired by the cartoon. The shopkeeper then asked President Rosevelt his permission to name a toy bear “Teddy”. Thus became the creation of the teddy bear.

It is also worth noting that the teddy bear was born in Germany between 1902 and 1903.

The first teddy bears did not have cuddly faces or smiles, in fact, the first teddy bears had expressions which could best be described as stoic. Teddy bears were also quite stiff, the bendable arms and legs and soft, plush bodies came much later.

Now teddy bears are still the number one item to give babies as their first toy, the prize to win your girl on your first date, and most importantly, the toy of choice for law enforcement to give to children in sad, unsafe situations to help them calm down and feel safe.

The market for collectible teddy bears has seen significant growth in the last several years. A collectible teddy bear is very different than the typical store bought teddy that you might give a child. The industry defines collectible teddy bears as hard, not floppy, and fully jointed (meaning arms, legs, and head are moveable). The artists however, also determine collectibles. Steiff teddy bears and others have a very high collectible value.

For more information, visit http://www.TeddyBearsInfo.com

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Perhaps it’s me getting a year older and wiser, but as I look around at the world it really makes me understand that our time on this earth isn’t a long one and that we should make the most of our time. The catastrophee of watching Katrina wipe out whole cities and families makes me realize that material things that we have are great, but not all that important. Think about all the people that saved to buy that great house in New Orleans, that today if alive are without anything. These people as hard as it is should realize, that as hard as it is, life goes on.

Children and families to me are what Holidays are all about. When I see children who have certain difficulties and obstacles work hard to achieve goals that others take for granted, it touches my heart. Children are pure. The Mackay Centre in Montreal helps children. The first school for the Deaf in Montreal was started in 1870. Around 1960, the Mackay Institute and the School for Crippled Children both needed a new building. The new “Mackay Centre” was opened in 1964 to serve both populations. Since that time the Mackay Centre has evolved into an organization in which two different organizations cooperate to meet the needs of deaf and disabled children. The Mackay Centre focuses on rehabilitation while the Mackay Centre School concerns itself with the educational needs of the children. There are many joint efforts in accomplishing these goals. At the the present time, the school has a population of 28 deaf children and 133 physically disabled / language students ranging in age from 4 years to 19 years. However, the majority of our students are between 4 and 12 years of age. Students come to the school from all corners of the city as well as from off island schools. There are an additional 28 children who are not disabled in the school, but who attend the school on our reverse integration program. These students are from the Montreal area.

There are 32 teachers in the school, 10 teachers of the deaf and 22 for the physically disabled and language students. All our teachers are trained in special education, and most have advanced degrees.

This truly is a remarkable school with dedicated professionals who truly help children make the most of their lives. I decided that as a fundraiser for this school I would help them sell Christmas and Holiday Cards that were drawn by the children. Proceeds from the cards would go back to the school to buy specific equipment to further help these great teachers, help the children. Being part of this experince truly has made me appreciate the holidays. This year especially with all the tragedies in the world, pick a worthwhile cause and contribute. A small contribution goes along way in many deserving under priviledged peoples lives. If you would like to know more about the Mackay Centre please visit their website at www.emsb.qc.ca/mackay/generalinformation.htm. To order their holiday cards you may call me at 514-337-2238 or visit my website for Solutions Ink at www.solutionsink4u.com. Thank you and have a heartfelt holiday season.

Steven Schneidman

Steven Schneidman has a b.A. in Psychology and an MBA from a Canadian University. He has worked as a finance professor in a Canadian University and in the second largest bank. He has owned 2 successful printing and promotional product comapnies. He has a great wife ane 3 loving children.

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The beaches around Punta Cana and Bavaro, are full of white sand and beautifully maintained. The clear blue waters lined with tall palms, seem to go on forever. The calm waters around the Punta Cana area make for great swimming, especially for younger children, and are ideal for water sports as well. All beaches offer a wide range of excursions, water sports, and beach activities including beach volley ball, boat tours, paragliding and sailing trips. Most of the beaches offer guided instructions and classes for diving and other water sports ranging from beginner courses for children and advanced training for professionals.

There are various diving packages available ranging from $41 for one dive with your own equipment to $800 for 25 dives and equipment is also available to rent on the spot. There are also diving tours available for those who prefer them. Prices of these tours may vary from $200 to $1,200 depending on the kind of package offered. Before taking part in these activities it is advised that visitors carry a doctor’s note stating your fitness level.

In Punta Cana, there are a lot of large, all-inclusive resorts along the beach that seem like small, self-contained cities. Resorts like the Bavaro Beach, Paradisus, Iberostar and others offer everything from swimming and water sports activities, different restaurant and nightlife options, casinos, golf courses, spas, tropical gardens and even mini-zoos. Some resorts have freshwater lagoons and provide facilities for visitors to snorkel among a fantastic array of sea creatures.

Some beaches are children-friendly while others have big waves, strong undertow and rocks. Visitors are advised to stick to the shore whenever in doubt. As with anywhere else in the world, the same rules apply in Punta Cana. It is best not to take a swim soon after a meal. Avoid swimming alone and leave your valuables at the hotel in order not to risk losing them.

Punta Cana Info provides detailed information about Punta Cana resorts, hotels, real estate, beaches, weather, and the Punta Cana airport. Punta Cana Info is the sister site of Cozumel Web.

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1) Pin the Wart on the Witch’s Nose: Draw or photocopy up a big picture of a witch; get lumps of green play-dough, blindfold each child and let them put a green wart on the witch’s face.

2) Apple bobbing is the traditional Halloween game. Float apples in a bowl of water, each player must try to get an apple with their teeth while their hands are held behind their backs. (This can get messy)

3) Traditionally on Halloween night, if you peel an apple and throw the skin over your shoulder and it will form the initial of the person you are to marry. You could peel the child’s apple once bobbed and see if it resembles a letter.

4) Another variation is to hang the apples on string and the players have to eat the apple again without touching it. Problem: Unless you grow your own apples they rarely have stalks still attached. You could try this game with ring doughnuts, bagels or ring biscuits.

5) Musical Zombies: Find some suitable Halloween Music - Saint-Saens’ ‘Danse Macabre’ goes down well with children, but if the kids are a bit young you could use ‘Fossils’ from his ‘Carnival of the Animals’ - and play this version of musical statues. Instead of dancing the kids pretend to be zombies then stand still when the music stops.

6) Wrap the Mummy: tear up strips of an old sheet and see who can wrap up their friend the fastest.

7) Sleeping vampires: Quieten things down with this version of sleeping lions, they all have to lie silently in the crypt; the one who stays still the longest is the winner.

Have a Happy Halloween!

Jacqui O’Brien is the editor of eParenting.co.uk, the online parenting magazine and information resource for parents, with free printables and educational software. Visit eParenting at http://www.eparenting.co.uk/

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The demand for dolphin gifts, though, is undoubtedly high. On a brief and unscientific survey, dolphin lover gifts are about half as popular as cat lover gifts. If you think about it, that is amazing. Most people will never see a dolphin in their lives, yet we are surrounded by cats.

What is it, then, that makes dolphins so appealing? I love birds and cats especially, but dolphins I adore. They are wonderful and appealing creatures with a mystique that helps their popularity. Dolphins are the stuff of sailors’ tales, and true stories, about dolphins and man. They have faces that are expressive in a human like way, and they seem to smile. Dolphins also seem to follow man out at sea, when men venture out in their boats or into the water.

Dolphins are also performers, not just in captivity, but in the wild. While they do travel at high speed and jump out of the water in so doing, they do come across as playful, and capable of enjoying life. So, in a way they are partly human like, and therefore easy for us to relate to. They are also very intelligent.

Dolphins engender excitement, and at times everyone becomes a dolphin lover. In my country of origin, England, dolphins off the coast have always been something of a rarity; although I have read that large numbers of dolphins have been seen off nearby Wales recently. While I still lived in England, though, the appearance of a few dolphins close to shore may even have made the television news and front pages of the newspapers. Now, that’s something cat’s cannot do!

I am one of the lucky few, though. I was fortunate to be able to live on the Dorset coastline, where a group of about 6 dolphins had become familiar passers-by just offshore. Very rarely they ventured into Swanage Bay, but mostly they were observed sometimes off Durlston. But, you needed a lot of luck and patience to see any dolphins there, even when they were known to be in the area. I had a naturalist friend who had lived in Swanage for 25 years, and was a frequent visitor to Durslton; he had never, ever seen a dolphin there.

I was a member of Dolphin Watch, spending long hours on the cliff top looking out for the dolphins to record their movements. I had no luck ever while on duty, nor had many fellow dolphin lovers on the watch. My luck suddenly changed, though, when I was out walking with my daughter one Sunday afternoon, on the cliff tops at Durlston. It was early December, and winter and Christmas were in the air.

The grass slope was a little bit slippery, and I slipped over, ending up on my back. After my daughter’s initial concern subsided, we both had a good laugh, and I hobbled over to a nearby bench to get my breath back. The bench was looking out to sea. That’s when something of a miracle happened; well, at least a major coincidence; an incredible coincidence.

As we sat down, I said: “Ok, we will sit here until we see a dolphin, even though it may mean missing Christmas.” Christmas was 3 weeks away, so it was a rash thing to say. We looked out to sea, and within a minute, I saw two dolphins. I was in disbelief, but I took another look; I had my glasses on so was not being deceived. It really was dolphins.

My daughter thought, assumed, and was sure, I was joking. Then she saw them also, plus a third dolphin. We watched them for about 45 minutes, walking along the coast with them, and then back again. It was a mesmerising and unforgettable time, even though they were so far away; those three bottle-nosed dolphins were, to me, the ultimate dolphin lover’s Christmas gift. A few weeks early, and free, but a wonderful gift nonetheless.

This dolphin lover gift article was written by Roy Thomsitt, owner author of the Gifts For Xmas website.

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