How to Keep Your Resolution This Year

By Trisha

Each New Year, many of us participate in the tradition of making New Year’s resolutions only to find ourselves with undone lists of things we wanted to do, accomplish or change in our lives at the end of the year.

Read my five tips to make and keep your New Year’s resolutions over on the SC Johnson Family Economics blog. Click here to read now.

Be sure to leave a comment over at SC Johnson

*Each week Trisha Blogs on SC Johnson Family Economics website as a paid writer be sure to read her weekly organization articles.

New Years MOM Photo Challenge - Start Taking Those Pictures

by: Natalie
Natalie Johnson Photography
baileyalec@hotmail.com

To all the women who find themselves called mom I want to put you to a challenge this New Year. I was recently sitting at a memorial service for the son of a friend of ours. They lost him way too soon at 22 years and it was heartbreaking. I watched video of years with him and it was a reminder to me as a mom I need to not only record my children's lives, but my life with them. We are one of the most important people in our children's lives and we are probably the least photographed. It is easy when our kids are little to get photos with them but as they age it gets harder. I will bet if you look at your Facebook albums you will see 50 photos of your kid's activity taken and not one of them includes you, the mom. We all are guilty of this and here are the excuses, I need a haircut, I hate my hair cut, I need to lose pounds-how many I really won't tell you, I didn't do my makeup today, who would take the photo if I didn't?. As a photographer I hear soooo many excuses, trust me I know, I have moms pull me aside ALL the time during a photo shoot and want me to help them look their best.

Ah-ha moment, life is what it is, and in this moment in time, the New Year of 2011, you need to record who you are with your children. You are the only mother they will ever have. So, the challenge is to take a minimum of 5 shots with you in them. You have until January 31st to accomplish this. The shots will depend on how many children you have. Shot one or two or three will be a photo at some point in the month with you and each one of your children individually, not a group shot. Shot two, you with all your children very close together, think close hugs. Shot three, a family shot with a non-distracting background so this can be framed. Shot four, you alone, yes, just you. There are very few moms that have a photo of just themselves to even use as a Facebook profile picture. Shot five, a photo of you and your spouse alone, one of the kids can take this one. I am putting myself to this challenge this month because I am usually on the other side of the camera. If you would like to post your challenge to Facebook it would be very fun for your friends to see you, their friend, instead of 50 photos of just your child. Wishing all you moms a hope filled New Year!

New Years Resoltutions For Kids

New Years resolutions can be fun and also serve as a goal setting lesson for our kids, as we begin a new year think about taking 5 or 10 minutes and sitting down with each of your kids and helping them to make their own age appropriate list of New Years resolutions.

Another idea is to use a journal type notebook to record each family members New Years resolutions and then at the end of each year you can reflect back as a family and read them together.

American Academy of Pediatrics has created a list of healthy and age appropriate ideas.

21 HEALTHY NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS FOR KIDS

Preschoolers

• I will clean up my toys and put them where they belong.
• I will brush my teeth twice a day, and wash my hands after going to the bathroom and before eating.
• I won’t tease dogs or other pets – even friendly ones. I will avoid being bitten by keeping my fingers and face away from their mouths.

Kids, 5- to 12-years-old

• I will drink 2% milk and water three times each day, and limit soda and fruit drinks to once each day.
• I will apply sunscreen before I go outdoors on bright sunny days. I will try to stay in the shade whenever possible and wear a hat and sunglasses, especially when I’m playing sports.
• I will try to find a sport (like basketball or soccer) or an activity (like playing tag, jumping rope, dancing or riding my bike) that I like and do it at least three times a week!
• I will always wear a helmet when bicycling.
• I will wear my seat belt every time I get in a car. I’ll sit in the back seat and use a booster seat until I am tall enough to use a lap/shoulder seat belt.
• I’ll be nice to other kids. I’ll be friendly to kids who need friends – like someone who is shy, or is new to my school
• I’ll never give out personal information such as my name, home address, school name or telephone number on the Internet. Also, I’ll never send a picture of myself to someone I chat with on the computer without my parent’s permission.

Kids, 13-years-old and up

• I will eat at least one fruit and one vegetable every day, and I will limit the amount of soda I drink to one glass daily.
• I will take care of my body through physical activity and nutrition.
• I will choose non-violent television shows and video games, and I will spend only one to two hours each day – at the most – on these activities.
• I will help out in my community – through volunteering, working with community groups or by joining a group that helps people in need.
• When I feel angry or stressed out, I will take a break and find constructive ways to deal with the stress, such as exercising, reading, writing in a journal or discussing my problem with a parent or friend.
• When faced with a difficult decision, I will talk about my choices with an adult whom I can trust.
• When I notice my friends are struggling or engaging in risky behaviors, I will talk with a trusted adult and attempt to find a way that I can help them.
• I will be careful about whom I choose to date, and always treat the other person with respect and without coercion or violence. I will expect the same good behavior in return.
• I will resist peer pressure to try drugs and alcohol.
• I agree not to use a cell phone or text message while driving and to always use a seat belt.

American Academy of Pediatrics, 12/10

Back To School With Lunch Box Notes

As your kids head back to school this New Year print out these FREE lunch box notes and add a little fun to their day with a note from you or dad. My Teenagers even love getting notes.

Lighten Up Your Child's Lunch Box, Backpack, even a Pocket, and fill their school day with encouragement with these FREE Lunch box notes from Alenkas printables. Click here to print now.



Tell someone special your thinking about them with printable Disney character lunch notes images featuring character from High School Musical, Pixar's Wall-e, The Jonas Brothers, Hannah Montana, Disney Princesses, Ariel, Dumbo, and Jiminy Cricket. Click here to print now.


Lunch Notes from Kid Printables are great to secretly put into your child's lunch box or backpack. Click here to print now.

4 New Years Eve Appetizers

Are you planning a New years eve party or headed off to one and in need of SIMPLE appetizer recipes ?

Here are 4 recipes that will quickly become favorites.

Olive Cheese Balls from Betty Crocker

Cheap, Easy and always a hit

2 cups shredded sharp natural cheddar cheese (about 8 ounces)

1 ¼ cups all purpose flour

½ cup margarine or butter, melted

About 36 small pimiento-stuffed olives, drained

Mix cheese and flour; mix in margarine. (Work dough with hands if it seems dry.)

Mold 1 teaspoon dough around each olive; shape into ball. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Heat Oven to 400 degrees. Bake until set, 15-20 minutes.

Makes 3-4 dozen appetizers.

The Salami Thing

Ingredients

• 1(8 ounce) package cream cheese

• 9 pieces salami, large thick sliced

• 12 olives
• toothpicks

Directions

1. Soften the cream cheese and spread each slice of salami with the cream cheese.

2. Stack the slices on top of each other, ending with the top slice having no cheese on it.

3. Cover and refrigerate till cheese is set and meat is good and cold.

4. Cut into 12 wedges. Garnish with an olive on a toothpick and push into top of wedges.

Baked Brie ala Melanie

By Susan Fox

1 sheet of Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry

1 Brie cheese round (8 ounces)

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup chopped pecans

½ cup dried cranberries

1 egg

1 tsp water

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Unfold pastry onto floured surface. Place cheese and all other ingredients in center. Fold pastry over cheese, bringing excess dough to top and twist to seal.

Beat together egg and 1 tsp water. Brush over top. Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 20 min. Serve with crackers.

Wrapped Lit’l Smokies

32 Hillshire Farm Lit’l Smokies
1 (8 oz) can refrigerated crescent dough rolls
Mustard or ketchup, if desired (I like honey mustard with these)

1. Preheat oven to 375 ° F.
2. Unroll dough, separate at perforations, creating 4 rectangles. Press perforations to seal.
3. With a knife or pizza cutter cut each rectangle lengthwise into eight strips, making a total of 32 strips. Wrap one strip of dough around each smokie slightly stretching and overlapping dough. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with honey mustard, if desired.

Do you have a Simple Appetizer recipe? email it to us at trisha@247moms.com to be featured at 24/7 MOMS.

A Fun New Years Eve with Kids!

Staying home and enjoying New Years Eve with your children can be quite fun. As long as they stay awake. :) Here are some ideas to help make the evening fun!

From Family Fun

Bubbly Jell-O Parfaits

Grab a spoon and toast the New Year with a cool, sparkly dessert that wiggles.

1. Make bubbly Jell-O according to the directions on a box of Sparkling White Grape Jell-O. Be sure to use club soda, seltzer, or ginger ale and follow the tips on the box for getting the gelatin to sparkle.

2. Chill the Jell-O in champagne flutes or parfait glasses. We suggest making these the day of the party, since they might lose some bubbliness if they're made further ahead. Wind a metallic multicolored star garland (available at party stores) up the stem of the glass for pizzazz.


Confetti Cake

Celebrate New Year's or any special occasion with Confetti Cake.

Ingredients
1 1-pound box angel food cake mix
1/4 cup colored candy sprinkles
FROSTING INGREDIENTS AND DECORATIONS:
2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
8 teaspoons cold water
2 cups whipping cream (unwhipped)
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Colored sprinkles
2 decorative cake sprays (available at party stores)
Wire star garland (available at party stores)
1 sheet of shiny or metallic colored paper (for year star)
Marker
Tape

Instructions
Follow the directions on the cake mix box, but just before pouring the batter into the tube pan, add the sprinkles.

Mix them quickly and gently with as few strokes as possible and pour the batter into the pan immediately. If you mix and pour too slowly, the colors may bleed and color the surrounding batter.

Make the frosting right before you plan to apply it so that it doesn't set. For best results, apply the frosting, sprinkles, and decoration no more than an hour before serving.

Combine the gelatin and water in a small saucepan.

Let it stand until thick.

Set the pan over low heat, stirring constantly until the gelatin dissolves.

Don't let it boil, as that would reduce the gelling power of the gelatin.

Remove the gelatin from the heat. While it cools a bit, combine the cream, sugar, and vanilla extract in a bowl.

Whip them with an electric mixer until the mixture thickens slightly.

Gradually pour the liquid gelatin (don't let it set) into the whipped cream mixture and continue to beat at slow speed until blended. Then whip it at high speed until it's stiff and peaks form when you lift the beaters.

Frost the completely cooled cake with a generous, fluffy layer, making swirls and peaks as you go.

Add confetti (colored sprinkles) and the sparkly year decoration. (Tip: We applied the sprinkles to the sides of the cake by lightly tossing them against the frosting. After we stuck our store-bought metallic sprays entwined with a star garland into the cake, we cut a 2-inch star out of paper, wrote the year numerals on it, and taped it to the sprays.) Store the cake in the refrigerator until ready to serve.


Fun Festive Hats

You can count on our shiny hats to make the ideal toppers for a New Year's party, but there's no reason to confine them to the countdown. Tailor the decorations to the mood and theme of your holiday party: glue on large menorah-shaped sequins (available at party supply stores) or festoon the hats with mini candy canes. Note: not all these materials are required to make each hat.

Materials
Metallic poster board
Scissors
Double-sided foam tape
Thumbtack
Soft elastic thread (22 inches long)
2 large paper clips
Shiny metallic pipe cleaners
Duct tape
Shiny metallic pom-poms

Instructions
To make a cone-shaped hat, cut a semicircle with a 14-inch diameter from the poster board. Roll it into a cone, adjust its size to fit the child, and seal the seam with double-sided foam tape.

To make a chin strap, use the thumbtack to poke a hole through each side of the hat near the bottom, thread one end of the elastic through each hole, and knot a few times to secure it.

To make a headband-style hat, cut out a strip of poster board about 26 inches long and 3 to 7 inches wide (depending on your design). Cut a decorative design along one edge of the strip, fit it around the child's forehead, and secure the seam with two large paper clips.

To decorate the hats, wrap pipe cleaners around pom-poms to make antennae or coil them around a pen to make spirals. To attach a pipe cleaner decoration to the hat, use the thumbtack to poke a hole through the hat, push 1 inch of the pipe cleaner through the hole to the inside of the hat, and duct-tape it down. Attach pom-poms to the hat with double-sided foam tape.

Noisemakers Shakers

Help your child recycle empty ribbon spools into colorful noisemakers for New Year's Eve.

Materials
Ribbon spool
Pencil
Masking tape
Dried peas or beans
Acrylic paint
Colorful stickers

Instructions
For each one, first see if the holes in the sides of your ribbon spool are covered by the ribbon's labels. If so, use a pencil to poke through the label over 1 of the holes; if not, cover 1 hole with masking tape.

Next, pour a handful of dried peas or beans into the spool through the open hole, then seal the hole with tape.

Coat the shaker with acrylic paint, let it dry, then decorate it with colorful stickers.

Wishes Can Come True

Ring in the new year with a project that your child can bank on: a custom container that lets him save up for something he really wants.

Materials
Coffee can
Paper
Magazine photos
Paint
Markers
Crayons
Other decorative elements of your choice

Instructions
Have your child decorate an empty coffee can with images of what he pines for. Then cut a slot in the lid that's large enough to accommodate coins and folded bills. Make the first deposit to get him started.

Time Capsule Letter

On New Year's Eve, invite your kids to write a letter to their future selves. They can list their favorite things (books, songs, ice-cream flavors, TV shows, foods, colors, animals, games) and make predictions (how tall will they be in a year?).

Pack away the letters with the holiday decorations so that they'll be out of sight but easy to find next year. On December 31, 2010, have your kids open their letters and see how much their tastes have changed -- or haven't!

Time For New Year's Resolutions

A New Year's resolution is a promise that one makes to a scheme or the improvement of a custom, frequently a way of life transformation that is usually construed as beneficial. The name comes from the detail that these promises in general go into an upshot on New Year's Day and stay in anticipation of satisfaction or discardation. New society concerned examples comprise resolutions to contribute to the poor more repeatedly, to turn into more self-confident, or to develop into more economically or environmentally accountable. People possibly will act likewise during the Christian fasting period of Lent; however the purpose at the back of this festival is more of sacrifice than of duty. The New Year resolution is one instance of the undulating forecast-method of preparation. As per this system, plans are recognized at regular short or medium-term time intervals, when only an irregular long-term plan exists.

There are spiritual equivalents to this worldly custom. For example, during Judaism's New Year, Rosh Hashanah, throughout the High Holidays and concluding in the Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur, one is to think of one's misconducts of the year and both look for and offer forgiveness. The idea, in spite of the faith, is to reproduce upon self-improvement yearly.

A New Year's Resolution has to meet the following criteria:

It must be computable AND definite. In other words, an absolute unfamiliar person should simply be able to objectively conclude whether or not you've accomplished it.

It should completely impact the life, if only indirectly.

A procedure of events should be necessary in order to attain it. "Visit Kenya." doesn't count if one usually travels and it's within the financial means and ease zone. It would count, however, if one had to come up with some way of financing the journey, or if one moved there for a month, or if one was having a preexisting catastrophe about hippos and were going there to tackle the fears.

Steps of setting a New Year's resolution
- Try to dream up at least a goal or two in each area of the life. Don't just aim at losing weight and give up smoking. Think of new pastimes, the delicate relationships, the reading habits, the learning status, and so on.

- Be original and try to slot in two or more goals into a single resolution.

For example:

down: "Lose weight"
Better: "Lose 20lbs"
Good: "Weigh 134lbs naked on the morning of December 31"
Awesome: "Run three miles without stopping wearing XXS Aerie sweatpants"

The overwhelming description of this decision not only fit in two general goals -- losing weight and exercising more -- into one, but it also aim at one of the genuine cause one wants to lose weight: to fit into a smaller clothing size. It doesn’t matter what number the scale shows if the pants won’t fit!

Plan for Success
For every resolution, one will require to construct as thorough a roadmap as probable guiding one from where he is these days to where he will requires to be in order to state the resolution an accomplishment.

Each step needs to be so basic that the fifth grade guy could read it and have a pretty good clutch of what one wants to get done.

One may not be capable to chart out the concluding end of the trip right now. That's okay. The significant thing is that one has at least one action step that he can take RIGHT NOW in the direction of each of the resolutions.

Review for Success
At least one time per week, one should make a meeting with himself to evaluate the progress on the way to each of the five resolutions.

Success Rate

Current study shows that as 52% of participants in a resolution study were sure of achievement of their objectives and resolutions, only 12% in fact attain their objectives. Men attain their goal 22% more frequently when they occupied in a goal setting, an arrangement where small quantifiable goals are used (lose a pound a week, in its place of saying "lose weight"), where as women do well 10% more when they made their resolutions open and got support from their companions.

List of New Year Resolutions
•Become more self-confident
•Lose weight
•Become more cost-effective
•Give up smoking, drinking and other such habits
•Get a superior Job
•Eat correct
•Get an enhanced education
•Get out of liability
•Save money
•Get fit
•Get a better score on the Report Card (such as 90% up)
•decrease anxiety
•Take a trip
•Be more autonomous
•Learn something new
•Volunteer to help out others
•Be Less Grumpy
The list of resolutions in New Year certainly not ends here. Different persons come up with thousands of original resolutions every year. A number of them stay deserted, while some get satisfied. The New Year resolutions assist in planning for the next year.

New Year Resolutions Quotes:

“New Year's Resolution: To tolerate fools more gladly, provided this does not encourage them to take up more of my time.” By James Agate

“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.” By Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Article From Altius Directory

Kicking Off 2010 on a Clean, Green Slate

It’s a new year, and by now you’ve likely committed (or procrastinated) on some sort of resolution. Perhaps, a pledge to do more for your environs? Ring in a sparkling new decade by thinking local – I mean LOCAL, starting with your very own closet. Time to do more with less and get rid of the rest! C’mon, do you really need August 1996’s issue of Vogue? Really?

Okay, let’s start with one closet at a time and work our way around the planet. With a well-organized closet, you’ll be able to make use of what you do have and find you’ll actually need to consume less. Here are some tips on how to create a true “miracle closet.”

Empty everything out of the closet onto the floor. Everything!

- Create four piles: “keep,” “give away,” “recycle” and “store.” If you can’t remember the last time you used something, get rid of it! Think about the reuse your worn clothing will get from those who need it.

- If you love an item and really can’t let it go, mark it with today’s date and tuck it away. If you go back to it within the next few months then keep it; if not, it’s time to let someone less fortunate enjoy it!

- Consider the benefits of digital photos: take pictures of nostalgic items you toss, and file images of items you store so you know exactly what is in each box.

- Use clear containers so you can see everything inside.

- Whether you organize your closet by season, occasion, style or clothing type, always organize by color within each category for easy access.

- When selecting a storage unit, think green. Be sure to seek full-service storage companies that use boxes made of 100% recyclable materials and use warehouse-style facilities that store items in reusable wooden vaults – greener for you, greener for the environment.

Laura McHolm is an organization expert and co-founder of NorthStar Moving Corporation

The Family Dream Board

I asked my youngest son Nate-no "Who Is Martin Luther King Jr.?" His response to me was the man who said " I have a Dream".

Nate-no's answer got me thinking about the fact that one man had a dream that made a difference in our country for ever. So, what is my dream, what is my families dream, how will we make a difference in our world?

Today as we celebrate the Life of Dr.Martin Luther King Jr. I have decided that the next piece of art I want to hang on the walls of my home is what I am calling The Family Dream Board.

I want to create a framed piece of art with our dreams and goals of what we are passionate about as individuals and as a family, the things we dream of doing and accomplishing.

First - As a family we need to make a list of our goals and dreams.

Second - I need to purchase an empty frame and painters canvas to create our family dream board with.

Third - We as a family need to begin collecting pictures and items to represent the dreams and goal we have.

Fourth - Time to create a piece of art attaching the pictures and items to the painters canvas to make the Novotny Family Dream board.

Fifth - Find a place in our home to hang our new piece of art.

Sixth- We will now have a daily reminder of the dreams and goals we have to make a difference in our world.

What dreams and goals does your family have?

It's Not To Late - Make Those Resolutions

By Michelle Poteet

www.reclaimorder.com
www.reclaimorder.wordpress.com

As 2009 came to a close, we sit and ponder what we are going to put on our list of New Year’s Resolutions. We think of years past when we vowed to lose weight, stop talking like a sailor, or even call our family more often. According to About.com, organizing is on the top 10 list of New Year’s Resolutions. We have good intentions, but many times we hit February, March if we’re lucky, and we have already “failed” to keep our resolution. I would like to share with you a dozen ways to help ensure you keep your resolutions in the coming year:

1. Tell a friend. Not only make the commitment to yourself to keep your resolution, but share the goal with someone else. Don’t take on this burden all by yourself. Enlist the help of a friend (or family) who can help to hold you accountable.

2. Write it down. Keeping a journal of your goals and resolutions will help in keeping it fresh on your mind.

3. Make it reasonable. What resolutions sound reasonable to you? Stretch yourself, but be reasonable. You want to stick with it for the year, not quit after 1 month. If you are looking to lose a large amount of weight what can you realistically do in a month? In a year?

4. Post it up. Write your resolution on a piece of paper, white board, whatever it takes and post it where you’ll see it every day.

5. Set aside time. Make sure you schedule time to work on your resolution. If it’s exercise, then make an appointment with yourself to hit the gym or head outside. If it’s time to get organized, block out time on your calendar for the week.

6. Learn. Are you unsure how to reach your goal or resolution? Then work to learn more about it. If your resolution is to better communicate with others, then enlist the help of others or even books to help you learn.

7. Keep an open mind. You may have a plan all laid out on how to reach your goals and resolutions, but sometimes our plans can change. Be open to new and different ways of doing things. You may surprise yourself.

8. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Sometimes we get off track. As you are working to payoff your credit cards you may have to replace a major appliance. Don’t let this discourage you and by all means don’t throw in the towel all together.

9. Pray. Don’t underestimate the power of prayer. Whether you are asking for strength, guidance, or peace He is listening.

10. Believe. Believe in yourself and believe that you can accomplish whatever you have set out to do. Believing is half the battle.

11. Start a blog. Get involved in the online community and share your goals and resolutions with others. What a great way to gain support, insight and build relationships.

12. Get and stay organized. Having your mind and your space organized will give you more time (and energy) to focus on reaching your New Year’s Resolutions!

What will your New Year’s Resolution be ? I know for me I have a few, but the biggest one is to spend time daily building better relationships. Every day is precious and we should treat it as such. I look forward to building stronger communication lines with those already in my life, but to also branch out and build relationships with those I have just met, and have yet to meet. I welcome 2010 with open arms, an open mind and an open heart.

Many blessings in the coming year!

Ten in 2010 For Families

There is still time to make your New Years resolutions - Make a difference in 2010 with ten resolutions that will make a difference in our families lives.

Ten Resolutions For Parents

from: (families-first.org)

1. Come together for a family meal as many times a week as possible. Let the answering machine do its job and make sure the TV is off.

2. Notice the small steps and the good efforts your child makes. Don’t overvalue the final product, which can serve to discourage a child from trying.

3. Apply this same generous attitude toward yourself and other family members.

4. Avoid asking too many questions. Questions often make children feel quizzed, attacked and/or invaded. Make statements and observations instead.

5. Listen carefully to your children. Try to understand where they are coming from – what are their wishes and concerns – and how it is that they see a situation.

6. Be clear in your own mind what your expectations are. Then let children know clearly and calmly, in advance whenever possible, what these expectations are.

7. Promote laughter with your child. Have fun and good times in the family. Cultivate your own sense of humor.

8. Pay attention to each other. FOCUS. Listen with both ears and let your children know when you can’t listen or pay attention to them.

9. Beware of over scheduling and filling every minute with “productive” activity. Create blocks of time for just hanging out and being there. These are the times that children will remember with fondness.

10. Make time for the things that give YOU pleasure – that nurture and nourish you mentally, physically and emotionally. Your well-being is crucial to your family.

New Year's Resolutions For Parents

“Resolution day” (January 1^st) is almost here. Are you ready? Have you decided on your resolutions? For parents, every year offers new joys and challenges. Here are a few ideas for increasing the joy – and preparing for the challenges – of parenting in 2010.

Love your child for who they are.

Every child is unique with different temperaments and different interests. Every day they are learning and growing – and the new year is a perfect time to take a new look at what makes your child special. You can support them as they struggle to master more difficult skills and celebrate their unique successes with them.

Be a part of playtime.

Play is how young children learn about the world and practice new cognitive, emotional, and social skills. A parent can learn a lot about their child’s developing skills and interests by participating in their play. Your questions, ideas, and attention support your child’s curiosity and creativity. Play interactions with you can also help them to develop skills to use when they are playing alone or with peers.

Talk about feelings.

Understanding and managing feelings is one of the hardest skills children under 5 have to tackle. So respect what they are feeling by recognizing their emotions, listening to their thoughts and helping them to work through their emotions.

Be an example.

Though your voice, your expressions, your gestures and your actions, your child learns from you how to interact with other people and with the world. You are in a wonderful position to set a positive example for everything from solving problems to showing compassion to buckling seatbelts.

Create routines and stick to them.

Children respond to the expected. If you create a bedtime routine that has 3 steps and you do the same things every night, your child finds comfort in knowing what comes next and will respond in positive ways as a result of sticking to the plan.

Make mealtime special.

Whenever possible, make mealtime a time to be together and enjoy a healthy meal. This not only develops a good pattern for eating, but it creates an opportunity to connect as a family.

Make books a part of your child’s life.

Make reading fun. Cuddle up. Let your child choose the books. By reading to your children, you are helping them to increase their vocabulary, inspiring their imagination, and setting the groundwork for a love of reading.

For more information on parenting and child development, visit www.ParentingCounts.org.

About ParentingCounts.org
ParentingCounts.org combines comprehensive child development research with a secure journal for capturing and sharing children’s milestones and achievements with friends and family. Resources are all provided by the Talaris Institute on early child development, brain development and parenting. For more information on becoming a member of Parenting Counts Center, go to www.parentingcounts.org.

New Year’s Resolutions

Amy Hannold Familytimeandmoney.com

Does the New Year mean resolutions for you? If you are like many people, dieting, exercise, better money management, and more living “in the moment” (slowing down, prioritizing) top your list of changes.

At the University of Washington, they studied people making New Year’s resolutions. They found that "The keys to making a successful resolution are a person's confidence that he or she can make the behavior change and the commitment to making that change," says a researcher. The study also indicates that "resolutions are a process, not a one-time effort that offers people a chance to create new habits." Even if people are successful, they need to follow-up on their behavior over the years.

To be successful with your own resolutions, consider their suggestions:
• Have a strong initial commitment to make a change.• Have coping strategies to deal with problems that will come up. • Keep track of your progress. The more monitoring you do and feedback you get, the better you will do.

Sure-fire ingredients for setting yourself up for resolution failure include:
• Not thinking about making resolutions until the last minute.• Reacting on New Year's Eve and making your resolutions based on what's bothering you or is on your mind at that time.• Framing your resolutions as absolutes by saying, "I will never do X again."

Persistence can pay off. Of the people who successfully achieved their top resolution, only 40 percent of them did so on their first attempt. The rest made multiple tries, with 17 percent finally succeeding after more than six attempts.

As final words of encouragement to resolution makers they offer these suggestions:
"Take credit for success when you achieve a resolution, but it is a mistake to blame yourself if you fail. Instead, look at the barriers that were in your way. See how you can do better the next time and figure out a better plan to succeed. You do get to try again and can make behavior changes throughout the year, not only at New Year's."

What does this mean for those of us mindful of our money? According to financial experts quoted by the Associated Press, New Year or not, there is no better time to improve your financial circumstances than today. Evaluate your spending and investing. Think ahead, they suggest, to the day that you will be thankful that you made allocations for the future. Preparing for the future financially may require learning more about money and how to make it work for you. Make it your goal to know more about your investments and insurances (life, home, health—evaluate periodically as your needs change). Seek reliable, reasonable, and recommended financial advice.

The best advice of all is to track your progress-and any detours-as you journey through the New Year. Keep a log of your money savings, track your progress towards goals and document what you have learned. When you can show yourself positive change, you will be inspired. Share your goals and progress with others. Use the buddy system and enlist the encouragement of your family or friends!

While we’re thinking ahead to the future, Valentines Day is approaching! For affordable and thoughtful ideas on making your sweetie feel special, check out these sites: “Mars and Venus” minded can find a “Romantic Planner”, a calendar of romance for every day of the month—and lots of other good ideas: http://www.marsvenus.com/Romance_Planner.php

Appetizers To Ring In The New Year

Ring in the New Year with these 5 Quick appetizers

Pesto Twists -from: Nestle

These tasty twists made with pesto, hazelnuts and Parmesan cheese are a delicious way to start the evening.

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1 package (17.3 ounces) frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
1 container (7 ounces) BUITONI Refrigerated Pesto with Basil
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts or almonds
1/2 cup (1.5 ounces) BUITONI Refrigerated Freshly Shredded Parmesan Cheese

PREHEAT oven to 400° F. PLACE pastry sheets on lightly floured surface. Roll each sheet into 12-inch square. Spread pesto over one rolled pastry sheet. Sprinkle nuts and cheese evenly over pesto. Lay second sheet on top and press lightly. Cut into twelve 1-inch-wide strips. Twist each strip and place on baking sheet. BAKE for 15 minutes or until light golden brown.

Cream Cheese 'n Herb Cucumber Bites from: Kraft Foods

What You Need

1 carrot, shredded (about 1/2 cup), divided

1/2 cup PHILADELPHIA Chive & Onion 1/3 Less Fat than Cream Cheese

2 cucumbers, cut lengthwise in half, seeded

Make It

RESERVE 2 Tbsp. carrots. Mix remaining carrots with cream cheese; spoon into cucumber shells. Top with reserved carrots.

CUT each cucumber half into 5 pieces to serve.

Turkey Club Tortilla Roll-ups
from: Pillsbury

Pretty spirals filled with thin-sliced turkey from the deli, fresh greens, peppers, and creamy dressing, roll up fast for a quick lunch or appetizer.

INGREDIENTS

1/2	cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
4	oz cream cheese, softened
1/2	cup chopped drained pepperoncini
2	tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
4	slices bacon, crisply cooked, crumbled
6	Old El Paso® flour tortillas, 8-inch (from 11.5-oz package)
1/2	cup chopped tomato
1/2	lb thinly sliced cooked turkey
	6 leaves leaf lettuce

DIRECTIONS

1.	In small bowl, mix mayonnaise and cream cheese until smooth. Stir in pepperoncini, cilantro and bacon.
2.	Warm tortillas as directed on package.
3.	Spread about 2 tablespoons mayonnaise mixture on each tortilla. Top each with 1 rounded tablespoon tomato, 1 slice turkey and 1 lettuce leaf. Roll up each tortilla tightly. Cut each roll into 8 pieces; secure each piece with cocktail toothpick. Serve immediately or cover tightly and refrigerate until serving time.

Pesto Party Dip- from Nestle

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Sports fans will tackle this winning recipe for Pesto Party Dip. Perfect on veggies, crackers and bread sticks, this delicious crowd-pleaser goes hand in hand with the big game. With its creamy texture and robust pesto taste, this dip is sure to score extra points.

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1 container (7 ounces) BUITONI Refrigerated Pesto with Basil
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons BUITONI Refrigerated Freshly Shredded Parmesan Cheese
Assorted fresh vegetables, crackers, bread sticks or shrimp

PLACE pesto, cream cheese, sour cream and Parmesan cheese in food processor or blender; cover. Process until creamy.

SERVE with fresh vegetables, crackers, bread sticks or shrimp.

Bacon Quesadillas :from: Kraft Foods

What You Need!

4 flour tortillas, (6 inch)

1 cup KRAFT Shredded Colby & Monterey Jack Cheese

1/4 cup OSCAR MAYER Real Bacon Bits

1/4 cup thin green onion slices

Make It!

PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Top half of each tortilla with 1/4 cup of the cheese and 1 Tbsp. each of the bacon bits and green onion. Fold tortillas in half; press lightly to secure.

PLACE in single layer on baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray.

BAKE 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.