7 Tips for Decorating Your Child's Room

7 Tips for Decorating Your Child's Room
By Liz Hekimian-Williams

If you're not sure where to start or how best to tackle updating your child's bedroom, you're not alone. In a lot of families, the baby nursery takes a lot of planning and decorating time but there's often less thought and energy put into decorating the same child's room as they grow older.

It's common for baby toys and furniture like diaper disposals, rattles, pull toys and cribs to get removed, but other things often seem to stay around for quite a bit longer than the growing child might wish. For instance a wall paper border with prints more suitable for your baby or younger child's room, may not be as enjoyed by your now older child (or teen?!).

Here are a few tips to help you get started with decorating your child's room. The best part about this is that your child can help you do it this time around, unlike when they were yet to be born or an infant. So this can be a fun project you can do together!

1. Select a new color to paint the walls, a color that your child likes.
If you have a strong objection to it, though, negotiate with perhaps a lighter version of that color, or limiting their color choice to only one wall. (Or, encourage them to put up some nice posters and wall hangings to lessen their color's impact!)

2. Mood lighting! Kids of all ages enjoy mood lighting of one sort or another. Together, select either a night light, a small novelty lamp
with a low wattage bulb, or an interesting colored or black light
bulb lamp. Other lighting effects kids enjoy include disco lights, statues or flowers with light effects, and glow in the dark items.

3. Bedspreads. Get rid of baby blankets and exchange for favorite cartoon throws or bed covers. When they're teenagers, they might enjoy more sports or frilly, or even more adult taste bed
coverings.

4. Personalize something for their bureaus or their walls, with their
names and/or photographs. Photos can be made into a collage. Engraved names in stones or personalized acrostic poem name prints are fun kid's room additions. Acrostic poem name prints
make great keepsakes and can be updated every few years. They use the letters of your child's name to start off self-esteem enhancing phrases that tell about your child's unique traits, interests and characteristics at that stage of their life.

5. Create a comfort zone area in the room, for cuddling up cozy and reading. Think about using big pillows, plush or inflatable chairs, anything your child might enjoy to sit on and relaxing in. You'll also want to conveniently have some books placed within their arm's
reach. You might also want to place some music equipment by that area for them to enjoy. And if there's room, try to add an additional seating space for you to enjoy with them, reading or
listening to music with your child, or simply chatting together. If you have a teenager, they'll likely want to have another seating space for you or their friends to use.

6. Together with your child, agree upon a wall paper border that you can use to decorate their room with. This idea can be in addition to or used instead of painting their room. Adding or changing a wall paper border can be a very simple and quick way to change the look
and feel of your child's room.

7. And... here's an interesting idea my daughter suggested when I asked her for suggestions about decorating a child's room ... ( I simply had to share this intriguing idea with you!) She said, ell them to get an extra thick room door so you don't hear your kids fighting!

Can you tell that she shares her room with her sister and something about the noise level in their room at times?!

Hmmm... maybe she's got a good idea there after all!

2003 by Elizabeth Hekimian-Williams, Giftsprings

Liz Hekimian-Williams is owner of Giftsprings.com, an online gifts and home decor shop where you can find many home decorating novelties including night lights, low watt novelty lamps and personalized acrostic name poem prints. http://www.Giftsprings.com

GOSSAMER WINGSCarol Dorman

Hello, my baby. What dreams you hold in the palm of your tiny
hand. What destinies. As time begins your preparation for life
you silently grow. Already there is love between us. A love,
incomprehensible to those who have not known it and so I will not
speak of it too often.

So many challenges await you. The terrifying journey from secure
womb to cold, loud Earth will be softened by warm milk from my
breast. And time will continue to prepare you.

We will rejoice at your first smile, your first step, your first
word. A world of firsts for you, my precious one. Explore,
discover and dont forget to dream. Big dreams! Follow them and
you will grow so tall. Where will they take you, my baby? Will
you ride horses? Will you sing songs? Perhaps the sea will beckon
you, perhaps the sky. Perhaps the heavens! Wherever you go,
little one; always remember your heart. Your dreams will be
nothing without it.

The apple trees are laden with fruit, sweet and ripe. By the time
you arrive, they will be all gone. The orchard is steadfast,
however. Each year it produces - we are never in want. Like it,
your home will be steadfast and strong. You will feel safe here
and secure. There will be storms, as there are in the orchard but
they will pass and the sunshine of your familys love will warm
you once more. Time will take you by the hand and continue to
prepare you.

I walked by the sea yesterday. Angry waves lashed rugged rocks,
punishing them for blocking their path to dry land. As the salty
spray spritzed my face I heard a menacing challenge. Come with
us! Dare to be immortal! But the rocks stood fast and so did I.
In that moment of terrifying exuberance I have never felt more
alive.

You also will see and feel wondrous things. You will grow towards
these experiences as a flower grows towards the sun. Each one
will enrich and teach you. You will also know heartache. Loss and
sorrow which I will strive to ease but cannot. When such things
happen, my darling baby do not cocoon, thus shutting out the
world. Rather, let those who love you cry with you and share your
pain.

Healing will come, gently on wings of gossamer.

These feelings I express will eventually be familiar to you. You
will become a parent yourself and know and cherish and coo.
Goodnight, my sweet one.

Goodbye, my baby. What dreams you held in the palm of your tiny
hand. What destinies. As time began your preparation for life you
silently died. Already there was love between us. Now, unbearable
sorrow. There will be no journey from womb to Earth. It was the
heavens that beckoned you. Fly away, my precious, fly away.

On gossamer wings.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Carol Dorman is a WAHM from Sydney, Australia and publisher of
Nurture the Nurturers ezine - he ezine for every woman,
everywhere To subscribe mailto:5016-subscribe@zinester.com
To request her FREE report titled: EARN $$ WHILE PROTECTING YOUR
FAMILY mailto:bewell@freeautobot.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

None

Schooling Yourself on Investing Money

Booster Seats: Safety First

A booster seat is a simple concept and it has a very simple function. This simple function is this: it is there to save the life of your child. A car accident is not something that anyone really wants to think about, especially where children are concerned, but to be prepared for the eventuality is one of the best things you can do for the safety of your child.

A booster seat is easily added to a standard automobile, and they are relatively inexpensive. And yet they can save your child?s like or save him or her from serious injury.

But what?s wrong with a normal seat, I hear you ask. After all they have seat belts, which are great life savers. True, they do, and seat belts are a lifesaver. But the problem is that seats are designed with primarily adults in mind. The same goes for seat belts. In fact, using seatbelt on a child can actually be more dangerous than it is effective at protecting the child, since the belt can become entangled with the child and cause injury.

Most injuries to adults are caused by the adult not putting on the seatbelt in the correct way. And since seatbelts are not designed for children, but for adults, then the seatbelt will automatically be put on in the wrong way, putting the child at risk, and possible great risk in the event of a car accident.

All this is why you need a booster seat. These are seats which fit into a normal car seat, and allow the child to sit properly. They allow the seatbelt to be used properly, and they give support to a child?s body. This is essential if there were to be an accident.

So before you even contemplate taking your little one out for a ride in the car, think booster seat. It could be one of the best purchases you ever made for your child.

About the Author:

carseatvault.info gives advice on car seats, toddler car seats and graco car seats

Kids Backpacks Shopping for Style and Substance

Even though a lot of kids are going back to school at public and private institutions that require uniforms, it?s easy to throw in a little personality with the right backpack.

From superhero to ballerina, urban sophisticate to artistic chic, the companies that make kids backpacks seem to be getting wiser to the looks kids want ? and subsequently have managed to put their collective finger on the pulse of ?The Backpack Generation.? And even though your kids might be wearing plaid skirts and knee-socks or navy trousers and white button-down shirts to school, their backpacks can still speak volumes about who they are ? and who they want to become.

The Young Ones

Being the mother of a 13-year-old boy and a 9-year-old girl, I?ve been through the kid years. Mine are now officially a teen ? and unofficially (though she certainly has the taste of) a tween. And what I?ve learned from shopping for my kids? backpacks in those formative years has gotten me through each back-to-school season as a hero.

First of all ? let your kids shop with you. Kids? backpacks are personal, and letting them have an active role in choosing them will help you avoid arguments and encourage them to stay organized all year long.

Secondly ? if you let your kids buy two different backpacks ? with different themes, colors and styles ? it will solve the backpack version of ?I have nothing to wear? (and it will give them one to use for toting their soccer, gymnastics or sleepover gear and one to use for books).

Lastly, when it comes to kids backpacks, durability is key. Don?t let your kid choose something that?s thin, flimsy and without support. Instead, redirect him or her to something that looks similar but will hold up for the entire year (otherwise you may end up spending a fortune on kids backpacks that simply aren?t up to snuff).

The Tween

With my daughter, the tween years promise to be difficult. Already she?s about as style-conscious as they come. So when it was time to go shopping for girls backpacks you can bet that pink ponies just weren?t going to cut it.

Fortunately, we found a middle ground that neither helped her look like she was trying to become the next hot MTV act, nor projected an image that was too sweet for her moody, artistic 9-year-old mind. And where we found these promising girls backpacks: stylish backpacks and product information, we poured over the site for hours and found just the bags she wanted ? and I wanted her to have. (We even managed to snap up a super-stylish rolling backpack from J World for all her art supplies.)

The Boy

Less style conscious than his little sister, but somewhat more into ?cool?. My skateboarding, punk-loving teenage son wanted a bag he could personalize with band patches and carry his board in (which is allowed at his school). So we did a search and settled on a black Zitteli with everything he wanted (and needed) in a bag. I also managed to talk him into getting a cool Timbuk2 bag for days he didn?t bring his board. And while we were on a roll, we found him the perfect rolling backpack for carting around all his soccer gear ? and keeping any remnants of his stinky cleats out of his school bags.

As with most things related to parenting, it just takes time and communication. And if you can manage to give a little, your kids will find bags that are functional and perfect for their personality ? and you get to be the hero that buys them!

Andrea Netta is a mother of two who, along with her husband, owns a successful catering company in Cincinnati, Ohio. When she's not working or chasing after her children, she enjoys writing, and yoga.

Do You Really Know Backgammon Instructions?

Backgammon has been a popular game for many years. It is a game similar to checkers, however your strategy is the complete opposite. Backgammon instructions are easy to follow and anyone can play. When you purchase a backgammon game, there are usually always backgammon instructions that come along to walk you through. If the instructions are misplaced just search the Internet.

The main goal of the game backgammon is for each of the players to get all of his or her game pieces onto the home board and then to find a way to get all the pieces off the board. The first player to achieve this is the winner of the game.

To start the game, figure out who will go first. You can roll the die for this and whoever gets the bigger number goes first. This is just the easiest way to determine who goes first, without any conflict.

Each player will get a turn to move his or her pieces. The players will first roll the dice before every move. You will move with whatever consists with the roll of the dice. If you roll a 4 and 3, then you will move seven slots. You can break the moves up between two game pieces. In other words, move one four spaces and the other piece three. You just have to make sure you move one game piece in accordance with the number on one of the die rolled. And the other piece in accordance with the other number rolled. It is really easy to learn.

If the same number would appear on both dice rolled, then the roller would be allowed double what the number is. For example, if you roll a 2-2, then the roller is allowed four moves instead of two. There are instructions in the game to remind of the hard plays and so you can refer back to when you need to.

You get a point by getting two or more of your game pieces on it. Once this occurs, the opponent cannot come to rest on that point when taking the combination of his dice.

There are different terms and circumstances that must be followed during the course of the game. When you are stuck on what to do, you can go back and look in the instructions to the game to figure it out. If you are playing for the first time and your opponent is a pro, then they can help you along and give you pointers throughout the game. Using the instructions seems to be the proper way to truly learn the game.

? backgammonholygrail.com
About the Author

Panama City Beach Real Estate

Panama City beach real estate is a serious business in north-west Florida, where every little thing from sandy beaches to magnificent views of the Gulf of Mexico and outstanding living standards are all well translated into money. Panama City beach real estate market features a whole range of apartments and condominiums to suit all budgets. An investment in Panama City beach real estate will enable you to earn huge profit and the investment will only appreciate in the years to come.

Panama City beach real estate market includes second homes, retirement homes, vacation homes, villas, condos, income producing properties, and development sites. Many people also choose Panama City as their permanent vacation home or as a retirement home. If you ask the thousands of homes and condos in Panama City, why they chose the location, one thing they all will agree upon is security. The entire area boasts of quiet environs and most houses and condos are part of the gated communities thereby assuring better security.

There are several real estate agents as well as companies specializing in Panama City beach real estate. These agents and companies are committed to making the buying and selling of Panama City beach real estate a pleasurable and rewarding experience. Most of the Panama City beach real estate companies also offer multiple listing services. This helps people to easily search for real estate properties in Panama City - within new real estate communities or established neighborhoods.

Buying real estate is a major financial decision. It is better to compare various Panama City beach real estate companies and brokers before sticking to a particular deal. Selecting a reputed real estate company or an experienced real estate agent will help you to make an excellent investment for rental or potential appreciation. Strictly following the state laws and general guidelines will help to ensure that the transaction goes smoothly.

Panama City Beach provides detailed information on Panama City Beach, Panama City Beach Rentals, Panama City Beach Hotels, Panama City Beach Condos and more. Panama City Beach is affiliated with Daytona Beach Vacation Rentals.

Travelling light How to pack light travelling with toddlers

<p=justify>Whether you're packing to go for a walk to the park or your planning a trip across country, when your travelling with toddlers packing poses a problem. How to pack light travelling with toddlers is a little more difficult than packing for an infant. Toddlers need stimulation in the form of toys and snacks not to mention the clothes and equipment. Toddlers require almost constant attention and need supervision almost all the time.

<p=justify>So how do you decide how to pack light travelling with toddlers and what do you need to pack? This will depending largely on where you're going, how long you're going for and how you're getting there? Whatever the answers you will need to consider all the possibilities. If you travel with kids, things to keep on hand all the time include diapers, spear clothes and sanitary items.

<p=justify> It is often not a matter of how to pack light when travelling with toddlers it is more a question of how to pack effectively. No matter what you have to plan for the unexpected that is likely when you travel with kids. Things to keep in mind when planning for your trip is that you can't predict everything so it is better to prepared. Start planning and preparing early, don't leave it to the last minute. Write yourself what to pack travel checklist and cross of the items as you get them. Put those items aside and get them ready for packing so you don't misplace them and have to rush at the last minute.

<p=justify>Before you start packing consider what you are going to use for packing. When you travel with kids things to keep in mind are the mess factor. You are better off using a bag for your toddler that is waterproof and easily cleaned. Your what to pack travel checklist should consist of at least the following;

<p=justify>? Diapers - required and extras in case of emergencies

<p=justify>? Blankets - you should take at least two blankets for your toddler

<p=justify>? Plastic bags / ziplock bags - for storing diapers, clothes and rubbish. This will just help keep mess to a minimum.

<p=justify>? Tissues / wipes - essential when you travel with kids, things to keep handy

<p=justify>? Sanitizer wipes -these are the best option for cleaning up any mess when it comes to your kids.

<p=justify>? Toys / books - to keep your toddler entertained, long trips can be very hard on children so you want to provide adequate stimulation.

<p=justify>? Clothes - enough for two changes a day. You never know what accidents or spills will happen so take a change of clothes on the plane, boat or in the car as well as two changes per day.

<p=justify>? Sun hat - a sunburnt toddler is not going to be fun on a long trip.

<p=justify>? Juice boxes, sipping cup - something that won't spill, you also want to keep hydration levels up when travelling.

<p=justify>? Food - snacks for the trip

<p=justify>? Laundry soap / pre-laundry stain stick - This could be a lifesaver for removing nasty stains while away from home.

<p=justify>? Car seat - this is essential for travel by car or plane.

<p=justify>? Stroller - another item that will help you enjoy your time as you won't be worried about carrying your toddler or them having to walk long distances.

<p=justify> These are essential items you need to have on your what to pack travel checklist to ensure you are able to enjoy your trip. Some other items that you need to think about when considering how to pack light when travelling with toddlers are items that will help you as a parent. These include changes of clothes for you in case of travel emergencies, snacks and drink for you, a separate bag for you and your toddler, something to read and your camera. These will just make it easier for you to relax and enjoy the trip.

<p=justify>Your what to pack travel checklist is a guide that reminds you of general considerations for when you travel with kids. Things to keep in mind as well are any specific requirements your kids may have. This could be medicine, nightlights, speciality foods, allergy medicines or cream, comforters, favourite toys or teddy bears. All of these things will make your trip run more smoothly and ensure your toddler will have everything he/she needs.

About the Author

By Vincent Platania. Fuller Brush ProductsIn business since 1906, Fuller Brush has been offering families high-quality household products for nearly a century. Fuller Brush natural cleaning products are environmentally friendly. Visit http://www.fuller-brush-products.com