We didn’t get here by grossly over spending. We didn’t get here because of drug habits. We got here because of the economy. Tenants not paying rent. A cut in pay and a cut in hours at work for my husband and of course, the never-ending rising costs of living.

     I stay home and raise our two boys and try to write when I can. The passion for writing definitely does not pay the bills. We are having a yard sale soon so we can send some money to some one. Life is hard right now and I know that there is the great possibility that there are others out there like us. I want to help and I want you to know that you aren’t alone.

     I will try to write an article everyday and let you know what we’re doing. What works and what doesn’t. Good luck with everything. Thanks for reading.

Today we have no need to “spend” any money. We are starting out with a balance of $410.75 in our checking account. This week we have to buy groceries, put diesel in the truck, pay a partial payment on our property taxes and find a birthday present for my father. I have decided that my goal is to do one thing every day that will save money and instead of pocketing the difference and blowing it, we’ll put it either in a savings account or send it to one of our creditors. The pick today is to cancel our Netflix subscription. That will save us $9.53 every month and $114.36 every year.

I’ll be back tomorrow for another rousing update on all of our money woes. My goal for today is to find humor in something…laughter always helps.

It is probably wiser to just use a four inch planting pot and after filling the pot with soil 3/4 inches to the brim, plant several seed 1/4 inch below the surface. Cover by simply tapping the edges of the pot. The fine topsoil will cover the seed. Spray a fine mist of water over the soils surface. Press the soil with a small cover to reduce air pockets. This will hasten germination.

The Lighting For Your Greenhouse

Many indoor gardeners simply purchase one or two Grow Lights. At least that’s what I call them. I chose to design my own using CFL’s. I chose this approach for simplicity and very reasonable cost. I simply mounted four 60 Watt lamps[equivalent to 60 Watt incandescent light bulbs] to a 4″ wide pine board of about 3 foot in length. I then mounted this board to two vertical pine boards attached to both sides of a 3′ wide table using simple “C” clamps. This would enable the raising and lowering the 4 CFL light assembly very easily.

Once I completed the wiring of the CFL’s to the board I plugged them into a 24-hour timer I purchased for $6.00 at a hardware store. I just set the timer for 12 hours on and 12 hours off to simulate the solar day. I placed the seeded pot or pots about 12″ beneath the lights and made sure I gave them some water. In a few days your seed should be germinated. As the plants begin to reach a few inches you should add fertilizer, preferably of the organic variety and when the blooms begin to appear I mix some fish emulsion which will help produce the fruit and sprinkle and mix in some blood meal over the top which will aid leaf growth. I even use organic seed, but that is your preference. When the pepper flowers begin to appear you will need to create movement of the air to pollinate the flowers since you will not have outdoor pollinators to accomplish that. You should run the fan for an hour or two on a daily basis. Some just shake the plant on a regular basis but the fan makes it simple. It would be wise to transfer your pepper plant to a six or eight-inch pot to give the plant more growing room. The growth of virtually any vegetable plant will be slower when grown indoors but one must be patient and realize that when the snow falls you will still have your garden.

For more information on indoor gardening: see Supporting Links and Resources below:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2192047/construct_your_own_inexpensive_indoor.html?cat=32
http://www.associatedcontent.com/slideshow/44665/my_indoor_garden_and_grow_light_photos.html?
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070301194638AAeoes0

1- A spade, like those used turn over a garden soil
2- A wheelbarrow to move the tree to its destination without destroying it
3- A fairly long hose in order to keep the transplanted tree soaked with water
4- Do this in early Spring or late Fall
 
Procedure:

With your spade, mark a circular pattern around the tree you wish to move, pressing spade down at least several inches into the earth at each point of insertion.
Pry up slightly with spade until you complete the whole circular pattern, being careful not to cut too many of the roots in the process. This will begin to lift the tree.
Using spade again, press it as far under the tree as possible and pry up again. This should release the tree from its life long home in the wild.
You can place a piece of burlap under and wrap and tie for transport in your wheelbarrow to its destination.

Final Steps:

A- Having previously dug a shallow hole about 30 inches across and about one foot deep, fill the hole with water and let most of it drain.
B- Add some time release fertilizer, preferably organic type.
C- Place the transported tree in the hole after removing burlap wrapping making sure top of root ball is just slightly below ground level
D- Fill around edges of root ball until secure.and press firmly with foot.
E- Top fill with water and let drain a couple of times.
.
Whatever you transplanted should grow for a long time if you followed these simple procedures.
Good luck.

For more information on this subject : see supporting Links below

http://perrysperennials.info/articles/transplant.html
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-should-i-know-about-tree-transplanting.htm
http://treespade.info/?p=63

How Long?

Fortunately, it does not take very long to clean your Roomba once you become accustomed to the task. Depending on how thorough your cleaning is, expect it to take between ten and twenty minutes or so. As for how often you should clean your Roomba, try to do it after each cleaning cycle. Especially, if you have lots of pet hair or long human hair lying about.

The Top cover

The top cover of the Roomba is probably fairly clean; however, some individuals may want to dust it off from time to time. It does become rather dusty after a while. Just use a dry paper towel or rag to wipe it off. No need to use any liquids. You may also want to wipe off any dust that may have accumulated on the eye or top sensor. It is located at the front part of your Roomba and sticks up a bit.

Flip it Over

Okay, so the front cover (easy part) is complete. Now you need to turn your Roomba over and start cleaning the bottom. First, when you flip it over, be sure to place the Roomba on something soft so you do not damage that top sensor. Now you should simply repeat what you did with the front cover, and wipe off the dust that has accumulated on the back side of your vacuum. You will notice that there is more dust on the back, then on the top.

Make sure you wipe off the other little sensors that are toward the front of the Roomba as well. They are basically just more eyes that warn the Roomba to slow down some when it is about to come into contact with something. These eyes may also warn the Roomba about impending drops, which is important if you want your robot vacuum to remain in one piece.

The Side Brush

That spinning side brush needs to be removed too, so you can ensure that no hair is stuck inside of it. If you do not remove this hair, then it may eventually damage the side brush. At the very least, even a minor clog will cause your Roomba to expend more energy to making that brush turn. So it is to your benefit to keep the side brush free of hair. To detach the side brush you will need a small Phillips screwdriver to remove the screw that holds the side brush in place. Once that is done, the side brush will just pop right off. However, if there is a large amount of hair or other debris stuck inside the side brush then you may have to use more force to pry it loose. A simple paper clip may do the trick.

A Front Wheel

That solitary front wheel actually takes a lot of abuse, and hair can also become clogged in it as well. Fortunately, it is very easy to remove this wheel. You simply gently tug it loose, and the wheel pops right out. You then will need to push the little wheel out of its component in order to remove any hair that may have become stuck inside of it. Once done, just snap the little wheel back into its component part and push it back in the Roomba body.

Main Brushes

It is very important to clean the main brushes. To do this you gently open the tray that is holding the brushes in place, and then remove them both. One is just some type of solid rubber brush, which can simply be wiped clean with a rag. Some people squirt a tiny amount of cleaning liquid on the rag, but you do not have to do this unless you want to. The other brush has bristles; thus, it is the one that becomes entangled with hair and other types of debris. Your Roomba may have come with a little cleaning device for this brush, but you can also just pick it clean with your hands if you want.

Each brush also comes with a little removable yellow cap on the end; you should remove these caps and check for debris. The bristle brush usually will have a bit of hair (sometimes a lot) jammed in this little cap. It is imperative that you remove the hair because just like the side brush, eventually the debris could do some damage. Once you are done, put the yellow caps back into place and the brushes as well. Close the container that holds the brushes, and you are ready to move on to the next step.

Cleaning the Dust Tray

The dust tray is easy to clean. You simply push down on the button that is on the top cover of the Roomba, and pull the tray loose. After this, dump the debris that is in the tray into a trash can. Then you can go the extra mile and clean the thin coating of dust that has accumulated inside and around the dust tray. Or not, it is your call.

There is the small matter of the air filter, though. The air filter compartment is part of the dust tray, and it is located right above it. The filter part will simply slide out partially if you pull on its little tab. You will then need to pop the air filter out of its little compartment, and clean it off. Usually, you can just remove the large clump of dirt that is stuck on the filter with your fingers, and then wash off the rest. You may reuse the filter (let it dry first) for many cleanings to come. Eventually, you may want to replace your air filter. You can find three filters for around ten to fifteen dollars online.

Cleaning your Roomba is important to maintaining its ability to clean your room for you. If you diverge from your cleaning duties, then your Roomba may not function at its peak performance. Worse, it may not last very long, and then you will have to buy another one. Or you can just go back to using a traditional vacuum.

1. Use clear measuring cups for water, milk, honey and other liquids. Before measuring anything sticky rinse cup with water.

2. Hold baking pans over your sink when spraying with oil. Your sink with catch any wayward oil.

3. Use a dry measuring cup to measure any semi liquid ingredients such a peanut butter or preserves.

4. Line baking pans with nonstick foil or regular foil sprayed with cooking oil for brownies or bar cookies. They will remove from the pan easier.

5.Gently spoon any powdery substance such as flour or cocoa into your measuring cup and level with a knife. Don’t pack it down.

6. Use a zip lock bag with the corner cut off or an ice cream scoop to fill cup cakes liners.

Image by Fimb via Flickr

7. fill any empty muffin cup half full of water when you are baking less than 12 cupcakes.

8.Let your cake cool 10 minutes in the pan before inverting on a rack. Leave tube or bundt cakes 15 minutes.

9. Spread your cooled cake with a light coating of frosting and let set an hour or so before finishing frosting.

Image via Wikipedia

10. When making pie crust always use cold water, cold eggs and cold butter. This keeps the fat from melting before baking.

11. Chill pastry before rolling out. Chill again in the pan before baking.

12.Don’t overwork pie dough. It makes it tough.

13.Always follow this step ” Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.” This takes about 3 minutes and makes a big difference in texture.

14. Gently mix wet ingredients into dry until just blended so quick bread doesn’t turn out tough.

15. Whip eggs at room temperature until soft peaks form. This is the time to slowly add sugar, then beat on high until stiff peaks form.

Image via Wikipedia

16.To melt chocolate, break in pieces and melt in micro wave oven 30 seconds at a time until melted. Stir after each 30 seconds.

If you would  like to post your cooking tips, favorite recipes or anything of interest to earn income, click this link.  http://www.triond.com/rw/6239

You might find these articles of interest.

http://notecook.com/drinks/make-your-own-coffee-house-treats/

http://gomestic.com/family/10-minute-meals/

http://gomestic.com/homemaking/10-tried-and-true-household-tips/

http://notecook.com/desserts/delicious-southern-pecan-pie-and-other-easy-desserts/

http://gomestic.com/homemaking/10-ways-to-make-the-most-of-closet-and-cabinet-space/

Image via Wikipedia

Soon customers of big banks will no longer be able to write a check for more than they have in their account. It’s a step to get ahead of regulations limiting overdraft fees set by the Federal Reserves that will ban banks from charging such fees without getting permission from customers. It begins June 19 for new accounts, and in August for existing accounts.

Bank of America will no longer allow debit card charges to go through if there isn’t enough money in the customer account. ATM users who try to over draw their account will be charged a 35 dollar fee before they get the money. So far,” customers have shown they are willing to pay the fees for covering things like the mortgage and car payments.” Greg McBride who follows the banking industry says, ” but not for things like a latte and a scone.”

Suntrust and Wachovia, two of the South’s biggest banks are checking their overdraft policies as of now, with plans for revising and putting them into effect later this year. Probably it won’t save the customers any money, but will likely end up costing them more. ” What this may do really, is produce the unintended consequence of creating the end of free checking.” said Robert Meara a banking analyst.

It might be that customers will have to have several linked bank accounts, a mortgage or other business  deals with the bank before free checking is offered.

Iy you would  like to post your articles of interest and earn income click this link.  http://www.triond.com/rw/6239

Other articles you might find interesting.

http://gomestic.com/personal-finance/get-financially-healthy/

http://gomestic.com/family/10-ways-to-save-money-and-have-fun-with-your-kids/

http://webupon.com/web-talk/free-internet-academics

http://gomestic.com/personal-finance/how-to-stay-within-your-budget/

http://gomestic.com/personal-finance/take-charge-of-your-money/

Gardening is a passion. And this book is about one of the most passionate gardeners Britain has seen in the last century. Christo was an innovator in his garden and brought innovation to British gardens. My parents jokingly called him the Pope of gardening.

Nathaniel Lloyd, Christo’s father, bought Dixter Hall in 1910 when retiring as a very successful lithographic printer. The house originally built in the 15th century was dilapidated and needed a complete restoration. Nathaniel also bought a derelict yeoman’s hall standing in Benenden, had it dismantled piece by piece and brought to Northiam. He left it to Sir Edwin Lutyens to fit it all together into a family home for himself, his much younger wife Daisy and their six children.

When Nathaniel died of a heart attack on the golf course, Daisy took over. Ruling her family like a field marshal but with less compassion for her troops, she would be the sole influence that shaped Christo, the youngest of her five sons and one daughter. She was one of those awful parents who always know best for their children, and she managed to drive them all from her side except Christo. She despised the wives of her four older sons as much as the husband of her daughter.

Daisy’s passion was the garden of Great Dixter (as opposed to the cottage of Little Dixter further down the hill which is still owned by family members). Not so much a garden, rather a domain of gardens. It is little wonder she didn’t have any emotions left for minor inconveniences like a gaggle of children. This passion captured and shaped Christo into what he became: the foremost gardener of the realm.

Christo lived with his mother at the Hall until her death. He didn’t flee her proximity as his siblings had done, his flight was writing. His books on gardening are some of the best ever written, and The Well Tempered Garden has to be a major standard work any gardener should own. The gardens were his life to the end, and he defined himself and his life through the gardens.

The book paints a picture of a monster where Daisy is concerned, and probably is not far from the mark. It depicts Christo as a repressed homosexual completely under the thumb of his mother, a great gardener and prolific writer. His moods, his acerbic comments, the constant family feuds with his siblings all form part of the book, as well as the unhappy ending for his sister. He even is blamed for not being sympathetic to his sister’s depression, though she lived so near. But quite frankly, there were other family members living just as nearby, and they didn’t lift a finger either.

Stephen Anderson was asked by Christo to write his biography as a friend of 20 years standing. But this is the rub. Christo didn’t really have any friends as people understand friendship. And this shines through in the biography, which seems influenced by the views of living family members, who all and sundry were in constant disagreement with Christo. The author had access to the family archives (lumps and bundles of papers actually, stuffed away here and there into drawers, cupboards, and other hiding places conveniently found in country piles) and draws heavily on them. All the same I am not happy with the result.

Yes, Christo was homosexual, and he fell with certain predictability for one of his gardening students. But that was not the defining force of his life. It is revealing that he only fell for his students, as he defined even such an attachment through the gardens. As with his friends and family, his emotions for the gardens came first, human beings after. Once you were able to accept this, you could get along with him reasonably well.

Having said that, the book is still worth reading even though the pictures do no justice to what you will find there should you visit Great Dixter. It does give an insight into the human being that was Christo and what shaped him, even though it falls short on his all encompassing passion for his garden.

1. What is the infant- to-caregiver ratio?

The National Association for the Education of Young Children recommends no more than one adult to three babies (birth-12 months old.)

2. What are the credentials of the center or individual caregiver?

The checklist for credentials should include:

• License/certification/ accreditation – look for a daycare that is accredited by the national Association for the Education of Young Children. Each state has different health and safety requirements, that may or may not require a license.

• CPR certification for all childcare providers.

• If you are hiring an individual caregiver, then you should fingerprint and ask for a background check. If using a center, ask if employees are screened for fingerprints and background before employment.

3. Can you provide references of  other satisfied customers?

4. What is the centers turnover rate or what is the caregivers past work history timeline?

Young children need consistency for healthy development. This includes a person that will be around long enough for the baby to bond with. That is a difficult task if the person looks at the job as short term or the care center has a high turnover rate.

5. What is your policy on parents dropping in and calling?

You want the ability to see and/or talk to your child whenever you want. Any caregiver or care center that discourages this should be avoided. This isn’t an inanimate object we are talking about. You should be able to assess the safety, care, and environment anytime you choose.

6. What kind of feedback do you get about the child?

This is about the parents preference. Some parents want to personally talk to the caregiver about the child everyday. Whereas, some parents may just want to be alerted if something happens. Other parents may want a daily or monthly report.

7. How are the children arranged?

Some centers have younger children, infants, and older children all in the same space. Others separate the children by age. This is important because you want your child to have age appropriate toys available and a play and sleep space that is safe.

8. What is the feeding and sleeping scheduling?

Some mothers have their children on strict feeding and sleep schedules. Other mothers may want their children to be fed on demand and sleep when tired. This is a personal choice with no right or wrong answer; you just want to make sure that the caregiver isn’t going to contradict what you’ve decided is best for you and your baby. 

9. What is the facility/caregiver schedule and is it flexible?

You need to make sure that drop off times, pick up times, holiday closings, weekend hours, late pick up fees, etc.. is congruent with your schedule.

10. What is the caregiver/ facility philosophy on child care?

Look for topics like attention, consistency, affection, playfulness, experience, safety, security, patience, cleanliness, etc..

11. When can I tour the facility?

This is the most important question of all because words are a dime a dozen. Seeing the facility for yourself is one of the best judges. This is a great time to ask secondary questions like where is the fire extinguisher. You can also visually check to make sure that you see key things like plugs with protectors, cupboards locked, hand washing after diaper changes, a secure entrance/exit, etc..

1. Lack of preparation.  Kids who do not have good study habits are always caught unprepared for quizzes or exams so they resort to cheating. Parents can help their kids prioritize their studies over other extracurricular activities and manage their time wisely.
2. Insecurity. Some students are not quite confident about their own capabilities, and so the need to glance at their classmate’s paper to check if they have similar answers. Glancing may be the simplest form of cheating but it’s still cheating.  Again, parents can do a lot to boost their children’s self-esteem.
3. Parental pressure. Parents sometimes unconsciously pressure their kids to excel academically. A parent should avoid saying “Any grade lower than this is unacceptable,” or “Get an honor or else…”. This may compel a child to do whatever it takes to meet those expectations. Parents must understand their kids’ capabilities and enhance these instead of instilling fear in them.
4. Peer pressure. Students may also become reluctantly involved in cheating. Some intelligent kids who are not that assertive may be taken advantage of by bullies who demand help with homework, quizzes, and exams. However, kids must learn to stand up for what is right. If they allow others to copy from them, they become liable as well. It’s better to report such matters to the authorities.
5. Self-pressure. Some kids put a lot of pressure on themselves, constantly striving to prove to all how smart they are. So as not to disappoint others, even intelligent kids resort to cheating sometimes. These kids must be taught that it’s okay not to be perfect. How others see them is not as important as how they see themselves.
6. Common practice. Many students justify cheating by saying that everyone does it anyway. When your child uses this argument, discuss with him the importance of the choices he makes. You may tell him that yes, cheating may be widespread but it doesn’t mean that he should also engage in it. He always Has the option to do the right thing.

I also have links to my other articles through my blog: Sharing my Thoughts.

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This situation should be taken seriously. Somehow your child is needy; whether materially or emotionally, only you can ascertain. Emotional deprivation may stem from lack of attention, affection, or affirmation. This results in jealousy and/or a poor self-image.  Part of the problem also might be immaturity — the difficulty to resist temptation or low frustration tolerance.

The problem needs to be addressed from several directions. When you are angry, take time to cool down before talking to your child. (Count from one to ten, take a walk, pray). Make him feel it is safe to talk to you. Do not just ask why he steals, but find out what his needs are, whether material or emotional, and take care that they are met. Blaming and criticizing will only cause him to clam up more and withdraw emotionally from you.

Teach him about human rights, such as the right to privacy and property and their basis in morality. Teach him that society has laws to protect such rights and that there are painful consequences to breaking the law. In this spirit, write down a contract with him and set a logical consequence (non-hurting punishment) if it happens again. Remove temptations — keep your bag and valuables under lock and key — and monitor closely.

Lastly, notice and affirm good behavior. Befriend your child. Take time to be with him and demonstrate your love for him.

I also have links to my other articles through my blog: Sharing my Thoughts.

Want to know how to earn extra dollars through writing articles like this? Just visit: http://www.jejeizahfaye.com/2010/01/earning-through-writing-articles.html