It seems that party gift bags have become the new normal – at least enough of the time to warrant the internal-discussion whether to join the bandwagon or not. When I was a kid, I don’t remember ever getting a gift bag when leaving a birthday party, or whatever. The party was the gift – if it was a good one you were spent and didn’t need anymore.

But times have changed. If it turns out most of your kid’s friends have parents that make the effort to put together post party gift bags, or even if your friends put together the bags after a Christmas or other party event, you should too.

But don’t despair, there are quick and easy ways to put together a fun bag of gifty tidbits. It doesn’t have to break the bank either. Some of you out there are certainly crafty and industrious enough to whip up something from scratch for the bags. However, if you’re like me, it’s virtually impossible to squeeze one more thing into the schedule.

So, for those of you out there who need some gift ideas that are affordable and quick, we’ve compiled 5 perfect gift bag suggestions. Here they are:

Custom pens – Especially good for the kids. Who doesn’t love a new pen? For a minimal cost you can get a special message printed on the pen to remind the guests of the date.

Stickers – You absolutely cannot go wrong in a child’s mind with stickers. It’s kind of the same with temporary tattoos, but stickers seem to hold a particularly special charm with small children.

Art supplies – Anything goes from crayons to paper pads and water color paints or play doh. Sidewalk chalk is another great creative conduit. I’d include markers, but that’s probably something that should be cleared with other parents first, so maybe not the best idea for a gift bag.

Treats – Small candies or baked goods are fine here. After a birthday party of rich cake and ice cream perhaps a more healthful choice for the gift bag would be appropriate as well. Perhaps a toothbrush could be tossed in as an extra.

Kaleidoscopes – Several companies manufacture really fun small-scale kaleidoscopes that are perfect for party bags. The colorful, rolling shapes of a kaleidoscope have endeared children for generations.

Any of these gift ideas are sure to be appreciated by your children’s friends. And who doesn’t love to send a child away smiling after a good time was had by all?

Most toys are simply garbage. There I said it. Long-ago, most toy companies stopped thinking about what’s best for kids in order to focus on profits, no matter the social and health implications.

This phenomenon explains how cheaply made Chinese products have flooded toy store shelves in recent years, pushing out socially-responsible competitors. A disturbing number of these products were so bad to be recalled due to the presence of lead in the toy.

Lead in children’s toys? I don’t know about you, but that’s inexcusable in my book. Distressed by the potential for harm not only to my own children but to those of friends and strangers as well, I sought out alternative options in the burgeoning market for green gifts.

What I found is a diverse market for high quality gifts – many of which are made in the U.S.A. – that don’t sacrifice function for social responsibility. Generally-speaking, green gifts work directly to protect the environment and public health by eliminating harmful toxins from the manufacturing process.

Either way, the consumer wins. You get well-made, safe toys for your children that do no harm. With Christmas right around the corner, now is the perfect time to take advantage of the benefits of green gift giving.

Here are 5 awesome green gifts your children will love:

Nintendo Wii – Yes, you read that right. It may be a little subjective to call the Nintendo Wii a green gift, but it does have advantages over other game systems. Namely, the Wii is more than 10 times more energy efficient than the Play Station 3 or Xbox 360.

Arbor Collective – This sustainable skateboard and snowboard company produces boards made from farmed aspen, poplar, cork oak and bamboo so that old-growth species can be preserved.

Brookstone Boogie Board – A LCD writing tablet with stylus removes paper from the equation, saving trees while allowing your children to draw or write until their hearts are content. The 8.8” x 5.6” tablet is pressure sensitive to allow lines of varying thickness and use even with the touch of a fingernail.

Plan Toys Eco-Chalet Dollhouse – This modernist dollhouse is made of all-natural recycled rubber wood and includes miniature replica solar system. Two separate units can be arranged and rearranged in numerous variations.

The Lorax – This iconic children’s book by Dr. Seuss tells an enduring environmental tale that should be shared by every parent and child.

Coming face to face with heady academic subject matter years – or decades – since you last wrote a research paper is challenging to say the least. There’s no shame in that; every parent feels it to one degree or another.

It doesn’t help that the Internet is full of millions of pages of questionable content. Many websites claim to be expert produced, and even look the part, but in reality are publishers of completely bogus content. It can be a daunting task to tell fact from fiction.

Even so, helping a child with a research paper doesn’t have to be an overwhelming task. In fact, with the advent of the Internet, the task has never been easier. You just have to know where to look for high quality . There are numerous and diverse sources of quality information that is presented with a focus on age-appropriate content.

Here’s an easy reference list of some of the best kid-friendly research sources available on the Internet:

Library of Congress: At www.loc.gov, a wealth of research paper quality information on a slew of topics is available in the “Kids, Families” section. Best part: It’s hard to be the Library of Congress as a respected research source.

CIA: Yes, that CIA. And no, they won’t have to kill you if they tell you. The Central Intelligence Agency maintains a robust website at www.cia.gov that hosts a large variety of useful data. Once on the homepage, click on the “Publications” tab. Here you will find “The World Factbook” and “World Leaders” online directory.

Kids Click!: Kent State University’s School of Library and Information Science runs this extensive collection of resources that span a range of categories. Kids Click! This resource allows students to research using a specialized search engine that is geared to guide them to kid-specific academic material.

Fact Monster: Pearson Education publishes this online resource of encyclopedia-like information through Information Please. Click through pages for citable materials appropriate for elementary-aged research papers.

Awesome Library: This kid-specific search engine is powered by Google and available in about a dozen languages. Awesome Library uses 37,000 organized resources to provide information on just about any topic imaginable.

These five sites have all the information needed to develop a finely-researched term paper that is “A” material. With these sites, the mystery and worry of Internet research is a thing of the past.

Be as Specific as Possible

Know what you’re talking about and try to be as specific as you are comfortable being. Instead of just telling a young lady that she will need to start shaving under her arms, lead into the conversation gently with some facts about what is happening to her body. She probably has some questions that she’s wanted to ask and she needs to know that everything happening to her is completely normal and that her feelings are valid.

Remain Age Appropriate

Make your conversation age-appropriate. An unfortunate fact of life in the modern world is that children are starting puberty at younger ages. The average age for a young woman to start menstruating was 14 in 1900, and now the average age is 12. Many 9 year old’s are experiencing symptoms of puberty. A child starting puberty will need to have information presented to them in a different way than a teenager would.

Ask for Input

Ask them about their feelings on the subject, so that your child can choose the product they want to use. Chances are, there is a favorite body-wash, deodorant, cologne or training bra that is popular at school and peer pressure being what it is, your child will probably want that type.

Use Gentle Reminders

Remind them of what they need to do, but not when other people are around. Just like you had to remind them to brush their teeth and make their bed when they were younger, you might also need to remind them to use deodorant. And when they forget, it’s a good idea to put travel size containers of deodorant and body wipes in purses, backpacks or lockers. After a mile around the track when it’s 95 degrees, they’ll thank you.

Take Some Time Out

And lastly, just as you probably celebrated your child’s first steps and first words, their first day of school and their first sleepover…celebrate puberty. Your son or daughter is taking the first steps towards maturity and that is worthy of celebration. A party isn’t necessary, but a nice dinner and an observance of the change that is occurring could make your child see that they can always come to you. It’s a difficult time for a child, but pointing out the positive aspects of puberty can have a lasting effect on how they see themselves.

Puberty, and the changes that go with it, can be difficult for parents and children alike to deal with.

However; it has been proven that families that have clear communication about challenging topics stand a better chance of making it through the difficult adolescent years unscathed. This may be the first conversation on a subject like this that you share, but it should not be your last.

About the Author: Tamela Longo enjoys helping parents communicate with their children. When she’s not helping her children, she’s often helping others learn to use online fax services and other online programs.

Guidelines For Halloween Safety at Any Age

It’s an oldie, but a goodie….Don’t take candy from strangers. That means that kids and teenagers alike should only go to the homes of people they are familiar with and to homes that are well-lit. An obvious exception to that would be if you are going to be with them the whole time or if it’s a facility of some sort that has been set up to allow trick-or-treating.

• Kids need to remember that no matter how good the popcorn ball or fudge looks, it’s never safe or okay to eat the homemade treat of someone that is not known by the family. Homemade Halloween treats aren’t as common as they once were, but they are still seen often enough that it should be discussed in advance.

• Homemade costumes are really fun to make and it’s neat to see the different ideas that are shown. However, costumes still need to be safe and comfortable. Trash bags may make a great canvas for Halloween art, but they can make it hard to see a kid crossing the street in the dark.

• Kids need to be reminded to not eat candy until mom or dad has the chance to look at it to make sure it’s safe. Some communities offer free x-rays of the candy to make sure that your little one can give themselves a safe stomachache later.

• Kids and teenagers alike should be careful to stay in well-lit environments. That means that even when everyone is in a familiar neighborhood, alleys and dark areas should be avoided. Teenagers in particular may need to be reminded of this fact, since parks that are closed in the evening can look like a great place to hang-out, but being there after dark could be both unsafe and illegal.

Halloween is a holiday that is fun for everyone involved. The kids love to dress up and to get candy, parents love to watch their kids in their costumes, and even people without children at home get to experience the joy through a child’s eyes. Appropriate precautions and the right conversations can make sure that your son or daughter will be able to enjoy many Halloweens to come.

About the Author: Kari Stringer loves Halloween and strives to make it as safe as possible for her 4 children. When she’s not hanging out with her kids, she can be found watching the UFX Markets and studying the economy.

So to satisfy my little Goth’s request for a Dracula Cake this Halloween, I’ve been on a mission to find the easiest recipe for Dracula cake out there. And here it is (adapted from Piece of Cake Decorating):

Ingredients:

2 10 inch round cakes (to get into the spirit of things, use Red Velvet)
Green, black, yellow/gold and white buttercream icing
4 Tips # 5 – *Ready-made black is better, as mixing your own is extremely difficult!

*** Tip*** If you do not have four #5 tips, do not worry. You will get the same effect using tips #4 or 6. If you do not want to use a tip at all, just cut the end of the piping bag to size. It will work just as well but your lines will not be as tight. This techniques works best for piping the eyes and nose because of their shape.

Directions:

1. Level, tort and fill the cakes. They can be placed on a 12 or 14 inch cake board. In this picture, the cake is placed on a large cake board (in the pic, Pillsbury Pumpkin Sugar Cookies scattered around for added decoration). Ice the cake with your green buttercream icing.

2. Using a toothpick, outline the vampire’s hair. Next, using tip #5 and black buttercream icing, pipe the outline of the hair and fill in with tight lines.

***Tip*** To smooth out the striped effect you get from filling in an outline using a piping bag, simply put a little cornstarch on your finger and gently pat it flat. Most of the cornstarch will fade into the icing but the excess can be brushed away with a decorating brush.

3. Using tip # 5 and yellow icing, pipe the eyes on the cake. Add the pupils using the extra black icing.

4. Using tip # 5 and green icing, pipe the nose. Next, add the mouth and eyebrows with the left over black icing and the teeth (tip #5) with white icing.

As with most cake mixes, do be aware that monosodium glutamate will be used, an additive helps to bring out natural flavors and make it taste better. Despite many reports from amateurs to the contrary, this is a completely safe ingredient to use- as affirmed by the FDA and many other regulators and scientific agencies around the world.

Recipe Finder Home Page

When faced with this situation, you can either go out and get food from a restaurant or hit the kitchen and get cooking. While the first option is always convenient, it can also mean big bucks. If I were you, I’d go for the second option and make sure that you have the right tools to make your impromptu gathering a success.

One thing that will come to the rescue time and again is this new site called Recipe Finder. It is basically a search engine that specializes in giving you the best recipes that you can find online. From appetizers to soups to main dishes to desserts – you can find all of these in one place: Recipe Finder.

The search engine indexes hundreds of trusted recipe web sites, ensuring only quality results. With more than a million recipes having been indexed so far, you can also be sure that you have tons of options to suit whatever urgent need you have. Oh, and this number is growing daily.

How can Recipe Finder come to your rescue? Imagine that your husband says he is coming over with his boss and colleagues in 2 hours. There will be 4 of them. What to do?

First check your fridge and pantry. What ingredients do you have? Say you have some beef, carrots, and potatoes. Simply type these ingredients in the search field, and you will receive suggestions for dinner. Now to make things easier, use the Advanced Search function, which will allow you to specify that you need to be done cooking in 2 hours at the most. To be on the safe side, let’s say 1 hour. You can also identify the number of servings – 5, including yourself. Within a few minutes, you will have found the perfect recipe for what you already have in the kitchen. By the time your guests arrive, you will be more than ready!

The next time you face a kitchen emergency, remember Recipe Finder. It will make everything easy for you.

Raising kids is tough, round-the-clock job. But even if moms don’t get official leaves, we need to find “me time.” We deserve at least one hour for ourselves, and only ourselves. Here are some simple ways to escape from the tantrums and daily grind and to nurture our spirit.

1. Feed your mind. Moms need intellectual stimulation too, and we’re unlikely to get it from Dr. Seuss and Disney Playhouse. Read a good book, even if you can only take in a chapter a day. Bring it around with you so you can sneak in a couple of chapters while the baby naps or you sit in the dentist’s office.

2. Don’t give in to mommy frump. Even if you’re just at home, take an extra minute to fix your hair or wear your favorite lipstick or perfume. It’s not vanity: when you look good, you feel good, and that will boost your energy levels and your confidence. You don’t even need to spend a fortune on beauty products: these beauty tips for busy moms help you find new uses for makeup you already have.

3. Give yourself small treats. What are the little things that make you happy? Sparkly pens? Fresh flowers? Chocolate and mint ice cream? Make a list of 30 things that make you smile and go out and get them!!!

4. Drop out of the mompetition. You don’t have to be a perfect mom, and you shouldn’t be pressured to “match” what your co-parents are doing. Find your own parenting style and cut yourself some slack when you make mistakes. You may be a mom, but you’re still human.

5. Reconnect with friends. Not just the fellow soccer moms or playdate moms but friends who share your interests, offer stimulating conversation, or are just plain fun to hang out with. Organize a girl’s night out and don’t talk about the kids (it’s also a great chance to get dad more involved with the kids)

Bright colors like red, blue, yellow and green attracts most babies. You might want to buy some that comes in different shapes of even large puzzle pieces to incorporate cognitive development at an early age. But your baby might just probably throw them away or bite on them. This is fine babies love to bite especially when teething. So you have to be very picky when it comes to the texture of the toys, they should never come with small parts or a string. These are hazardous especially to babies, since they love biting on the toys, they might choke accidentally on those tiny parts.

Building blocks are great toys for babies especially those that come in varying bright colors. This will help them develop the hand and eye coordination. You may want to teach them how to build blocks at first and then gradually introduce how to make big blocks out of them. These safe and developmental baby toys are great your child.

In order to protect your property with home insurance, you need to establish rules in your home that can be grasped and followed by your family members, especially the kids. They are not aware of any danger and they move freely. They pick up the things that they see and they do not care if these would harm them or not. The primary goal is to safeguard them at all times, which will secure the safety of your home from any accidents and untoward incidents. Follow these golden rules and you, along with your children will be safe.

1. Be on Guard
This is appropriate and applicable to kids between 18 months to 5 years old. Although kids ages four and five could understand the dos and don’ts, but you can’t simply leave them alone especially at this critical period where they love to play, explore everywhere, and touch everything that they see, especially if things are unusual for them. Otherwise, let your nannies take care of everything if you have to leave or if you are a working person.

2. Keep “Dangerous Materials” Unreachable
You do not need to play hide and seek just to keep hazardous materials away. It is best to avoid any accident than let things happen because you have not taken precaution. When you protect your property, you are also saving the life of your kids and protecting their future. Keep this in mind so that accidents happening to children within the premises that are beyond the scope of your responsibility would be well assisted and insured.

3. Orient Children
While kids are growing, this is the best time to introduce and discuss the importance of discipline in the home and show them things that are okay and not okay with them to use. Let them know what would happen if they try to use these things and how it could harm them.

4. Check the Electrical Wiring System
If you have toddlers walking around at home, it is best that your electrical wiring and outlets are covered and hard to reach. Ask assistance from electricians or professionals to assist you at best.

5. Follow Home Standard Protection
Just like any building, you should have smoke alarm systems, carbon monoxide detectors, fire extinguishers and security alarms and cameras to avoid further injuries and harms on your kids and in the community, just in case they disappear from the sight of their caretakers.

This is your prerogative and this is how you would protect your property with home insurance from Allianz that will back you up should all your precautionary measures failed.